Gangtok, April 20: The Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee on April 20 criticised the BJP-led Government of India following the defeat of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha, describing it as a “malicious attempt” to advance delimitation under the pretext of women’s reservation.
In a statement, SPCC President Gopal Chettri said the bill’s failure represented a victory for the public and accused the Centre of using women’s rights as a political tool. He alleged that the government had deliberately linked the proposed reservation with delimitation based on the 2011 Census, which, he claimed, would have delayed its implementation.
Chettri asserted that the Congress has consistently supported women’s reservation and called for its immediate rollout without conditions. He further criticised the bill for not including a sub-quota for Other Backward Classes and for lacking adequate safeguards for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, terming it detrimental to marginalised communities.
The SPCC also accused the Sikkim government of politicising the issue by mobilising women for rallies, describing the move as inappropriate and undermining their dignity.
The party demanded immediate implementation of women’s reservation, inclusion of sub-quotas for OBCs, SCs and STs, and an end to what it described as the use of women for political mobilisation.
