New Delhi, Apr 18 (PTI) Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of violating the Model Code of Conduct by giving an “election speech” while speaking as the PM, and said this was “a new low in politics”.
Sibal claimed that such remarks lower the dignity of the office of the prime minister and no other PM had indulged in such acts in the past.
“This is a new low in the politics of India. But I know that neither the Chief Election Commissioner nor any other institution will do anything about it. Time and again, the prime minister violates the Model Code of Conduct and makes political speeches while as PM when an election is going on,” Sibal said at a press conference here.
Sibal’s attack came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an address to the nation, warned the Congress and its allies that the women of India will severely punish them for “the sin of foeticide” by defeating the government’s constitution amendment bill.
The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill to implement 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures in 2029 and increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816 was defeated in the Lower House on Friday.
“What can I say to my PM. Why have you reduced the office of the PM in this fashion. No prime minister has done it in the past. You can win an election, but you should not destroy the institution,” Sibal said.
The Independent Rajya Sabha MP further said Modi cursed the Congress party throughout the address.
“He can do that in a political party, whether or not he can do that as PM is another question,” Sibal said.
Sibal also pointed out that the BJP has been opposing the women’s bill since 1996.
However, when the women’s reservation bill was passed unanimously in 2023 — the BJP backtracked from the provisions related to the census as it did not want numbers of SC, ST and OBCs to be included for the implementation of the reservation.
In a major setback to the government, the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill to implement 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures in 2029 and increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816 was defeated in the Lower House on Friday.
While 298 members voted in support of the bill, 230 MPs voted against it.
Out of 528 members who voted, the bill required 352 votes for a two-thirds majority.
The bill proposed to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816 from the current 543 to “operationalise” the women’s reservation law before the 2029 parliamentary polls, following a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census.
Seats were also to be increased in state and UT assemblies to accommodate 33 per cent reservation for women.
The three-day special sitting was convened from April 16 to 18 to secure Parliament’s approval for the Constitution Amendment Bill, along with the Delimitation and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) bills. PTI ASK AMJ AMJ
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