Jual Oram hits back at Chidambaram over 131st Amendment Bill claims

Union Minister Jual Oram counters P Chidambaram, asserting the 2026 delimitation is a constitutional requirement, not a new BJP process. He questions Congress's motives and accuses them of double standards regarding party splits.

Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Jual Oram on Wednesday slammed Congress leader P Chidambaram over his remarks regarding the 131st Constitution Amendment Bill, asserting that the delimitation process scheduled for 2026 is a pre-determined constitutional requirement and not a "new process".

Responding to Chidambaram's allegations that the bill is intended to clear the way for delimitation, Oram questioned the Congress party's motives. "It was pre-determined by the Delimitation Act that delimitation will take place in 2026. Is conducting delimitation a bad thing under a constitutional decision? The Delimitation Commission includes not just members of one political party but members from every political party. This is not a new process. I can't understand why Congress is troubled by it. Whatever these people (Congress) do is not in the interest of the country or the public, especially the women. They will have to bear the consequences of this," Oram said.

Oram accuses Congress of 'double standards'

Addressing allegations that the BJP is engineering splits in regional parties to ensure the passage of the 131st Amendment Bill, the Minister accused the Congress of practising "double standards". "Hasn't the Congress sinned by splitting AIADMK and supporting TVK in Tamil Nadu? We have not split any party. Where is our fault if discontented TMC leaders are breaking away to form a separate party? Congress party's double standards will not work. What can we do if these parties (TMC, Shiv Sena UBT) cannot retain their leaders, MPs, and MLAs? Those who oppose the development of the country will face these consequences," he added.

Dismisses allegations of misusing central agencies

Oram also dismissed opposition charges regarding the misuse of constitutional and investigative institutions like the Election Commission (EC), the Enforcement Directorate (ED), and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). "This used to happen during Congress' tenure, not during the BJP's. The Election Commission of India, the Supreme Court of India, the CBI and ED are independent bodies. Their misuse was done during Congress' tenure, not by BJP," the Union Minister asserted.

Confident about productive Parliament session

Commenting on the upcoming session of Parliament, Oram expressed confidence in the government's ability to conduct business despite potential hurdles. "So far, Parliament sessions have been productive. There are disruptions, but we put in extra time to ensure the session remains productive," he stated.

Chidambaram's concerns on delimitation

Chidambaram earlier in the day had said delimitation of constituencies under the present formula will cause "grave injustice" to the rights of States that had "faithfully followed the National Population Policy and contained the growth of the State's population". (ANI)

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