Constitution Amendment Bill moved in haste, without consultation: D.K. Shivakumar

Terming the defeat of the Constitution Amendment Bill in the Parliament as a humiliation to the BJP-led NDA government and a victory to the Congress-led INDIA bloc, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Sunday said the BJP had moved the bill hastily and without broader consultation with the Opposition.

“When amending the Constitution, everyone should have been taken into confidence. The Women’s Reservation Act is Congress’s dream. It was the Congress that had worked in favour of the Act,” the Deputy Chief Minister told presspersons here. He said, “It is a victory for democracy. The Congress and the INDIA bloc stand in solidarity with women. In a democratic system, discussions should have been held with Opposition parties. What was the need to bring it at a time when elections are ongoing? The decision made now by the BJP government is not the right time.” He also decried attempts — through the Bill — by the BJP to allegedly reduce representation from the South and increase representation in the North. “This cannot be tolerated. They should have called all of us and held discussions.”