Srinagar, Apr 23 (KNS): The government of India (GOI) is committed to women's reservation without diluting rights of existing MPs, Union Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said on Thursday, advocating for an expansion of Lok Sabha seats through delimitation instead of redistribution.
Addressing media in Srinagar, Minister for youth affairs and sports Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore as per news agency Kashmir News Service (KNS) said democracy requires public awareness and asserted that the existing 543 seats should not be touched.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made it clear that we don't want to take away seats from anyone. Instead of redistributing, seats should be increased and then given to women," the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports said.
Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
Referring to the women's reservation bill passed in 2023, he stated its conditional linkage to census and delimitation. The minister questioned the delay, pointing out that discussions on the matter have been ongoing since 1996.
"How long will women wait? The election is coming on April 29, and you are saying you will give it in 2034. A whole generation will pass away," Rathore said.
He added that delimitation and census are parallel processes, and the 2023 bill had received unanimous support from all parties. (KNS)