BSP chief Mayawati called Congress and Samajwadi Party "chameleons" over the women's reservation bill, accusing them of hypocrisy on OBC rights. She cited their past failures to implement reservation policies for backward communities.
Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Friday termed Congress and Samajwadi Party as "chameleons" after they flagged that the delimitation and women's reservation based on 2011 census numbers would not include the OBCs.
Alleging neglect towards the Bahujan communities, Mayawati stated that the Congress did not implement the reservation for the OBC communities based on the Mandal Commission Report, and the SP shelved the Backward Classes Commission Report in the state. She claimed that if Congress were in power today, even it would have gone ahead with the 2011 census for operationalising the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023.
Mayawati Accuses Congress, SP of Hypocrisy
Maywati wrote on X, "In the matter of constitutional/legal rights, etc., of the country's SC, ST, and OBC communities, the Congress, which changes its colour like a chameleon, is the same party that, now talking about these categories in women's reservation, never took any initiative during its central government to fulfill their reservation quotas in any sector. Nor did it implement the 27 per cent reservation for the OBC community in government jobs and education as per the Mandal Commission report, which was eventually implemented in the government of former Prime Minister VP Singh only through the tireless efforts of the BSP, as is well known."
She alleged that the Samajwadi Party's stance on caste and discrimination had changed when it was in power in Uttar Pradesh. "Similarly, in UP, to provide OBC benefits to backward Muslims, the SP government had shelved the report of the Backward Classes Commission that came in July 1994 and did not implement it, which was then immediately implemented by the first BSP government here on June 3, 1995, and now the same SP, changing its color for its political interests, is talking about giving separate reservation to their women. Thus, like in other cases, in this matter too, the SP adopts a different stance when not in power, but when in government, it adopts a different narrow, casteist and discriminatory attitude. Therefore, all these communities must always remain cautious of such deceptive and double-faced parties; only then can something better become possible," the BSP chief wrote.
"As for the question of delimitation based on the previous (2011) census for women's reservation, the only thing to say about this is that if it has to be implemented quickly for whatever reasons, then it has to be done on the basis of this same census, and if the Congress party were in power at the center currently, this party too would have taken the same step as the BJP. In sum, the purport of saying this is that no party in the country has been serious about the real interests, welfare, and shaping the future, etc., of the SC, ST, OBC, and Muslim communities in any matter," she added.
BSP Chief's Advice to OBC Communities
She urged the OBC communities to settle for now and wait for proper attention being paid to their interests, while not falling for anyone's "inducements". "Therefore, in the matter of women's reservation, whatever these categories are getting now, they should accept it for the time being, and in this matter, when a better time comes ahead, proper attention will be paid to their interests--meaning, they should not fall for anyone's inducements because they themselves have to stand on their own feet and make their society self-reliant and strong. This is the advice," the X post read.
Priyanka Gandhi Questions Bill's Implementation
Her remarks come after Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called upon the government to implement one-third reservation for women legislators within the existing strength of the Lok Sabha, along with reservation for SC, ST and OBC women. "The government is trying to befool people and is attacking the integrity of the country in a big way. On the one hand, there is big talk, on the other, the rights of OBCs are sought to be taken away silently, and democracy is being blown to smithereens by reducing the power of some states," she alleged.
Priyanka Gandhi questioned the government's decision to link the Nari Shakti Vandan (Amendment) Bill to an increase in Lok Sabha seats from 543 to not more than 850, based on 2011 population Census figures. "Firstly, it is written that Women's Reservation should be implemented from 2029. We support it. Then it says that to implement the Bill, the Lok Sabha seats would increase from 543 to 850. It would be based on the 2011 population census," she said, expressing concern over the removal of the 2023 provision that required a population census followed by delimitation.
"They want to move forward with the 2011 census because there are no figures for the OBC community in it," she said, noting that the Constitution is for everyone and cannot run by "snatching somebody's right".
The Lok Sabha today is set to continue discussion and vote on the passage of the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, along with the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 extending it to Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir, and the Delimitation Bill, which is set to increase and redraw Lok Sabha constituencies, increasing them up to 850. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)