‘Bulldozer mentality’: Congress attacks PM over secrecy on amendment bills

The Indian National Congress on Tuesday sharply criticised the Centre for not sharing proposed Constitution amendment bills with MPs ahead of the special sitting of Parliament, calling the move a “complete mockery of democracy” and accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of displaying a “bulldozer mentality”.

Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh said the government has yet to circulate the draft legislation even as the special session is set to begin on 16 April. “Till this morning, the Modi government has NOT shared with MPs the Constitution Amendment Bill(s) they are supposed to be debating and voting upon,” he said in a post on X.

He also questioned the timing of the session, noting that it coincides with peak campaigning for assembly elections in states such as West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. The Opposition, he said, had sought an all-party meeting after the elections conclude, a request the government rejected. “This makes a complete mockery of democracy and reveals the bulldozer mentality of the PM,” Ramesh said.

A day earlier, Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi raised concerns over the government’s legislative agenda, suggesting that the real issue behind the special session is delimitation rather than women’s reservation. She termed any such move “extremely dangerous” and an “assault” on the Constitution.

In an article published in The Hindu, Sonia Gandhi argued that any increase in the strength of the Lok Sabha through delimitation must be “politically, and not just arithmetically, equitable”. She also alleged that the government’s urgency is aimed at deriving political advantage. “There can be only one reason for the extraordinary hurry — to place the Opposition on the defensive,” she wrote, adding that the move could also delay the caste census.

The government has convened a three-day special sitting of Parliament from 16 to 18 April, during which amendments related to the implementation of the women’s reservation law — commonly referred to as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam — are expected to be taken up.

The session comes amid an intense election calendar, with voting in West Bengal scheduled in two phases on 23 April and 29 April, and polling in Tamil Nadu set for 23 April.

With PTI inputs