April 16, 2026
June Maliah’s speech on The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 and The Delimitation Bill, 2026
Sir, Bengal’s soil has taught us how to respect women. Raja Rammohan Roy advocated for women rights while protesting against ‘Sati’. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar showed us the path of humanity by introducing ‘widow marriage’. But some of them has called him as a middleman of Britishers. These people destroyed the statue of Vidyasagar in Kolkata. I hope, you remember. Someone called Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay as ‘Bankim Da’ instead of calling him ‘Bankim Babu’. We are following the tradition of our great men. It is the tradition that guides us to save women’s dignity. We are facing a historic moment right now. Today it is not only the debate to discuss the bill but also it is a debate on injustice vs hypocrisy and rights vs political drama. We want reservation for women. It is not for mercy, it is their right. We want it right now without any condition. That is why we would like to ask this government directly, while you are talking about women empowerment, what you are doing in reality? You are placing bills just before the election, doing nothing but politics. If we raise questions, then we will be called misogynists. This is your strategy. We, AITC, would like to say here very clearly, we support women reservation but we do not accept deception. The big and dangerous issue is here ‘delimitation’. It means creating divisions in country and state. This government has attached women reservation with delimitation very cleverly. It is more dangerous that women reservation will be viable only after the completion of delimitation. No one knows when it will be implemented. So, what will you say, is it reservation or deception? What you are trying to do with delimitation, I know. You are trying to be politically benefited by reorganizing areas with the data from census, 2011. You are trying to undermine the voices of SC, ST and minorities. You have portrayed women reservation bill to cover the motive of delimitation. This is real truth. The political game is going on by situating women in front. So, this is a tool to undermine the democracy in the name of women development. We have seen the results when you hurried to make decisions. During SIR, over 200 people lost their lives in West Bengal. The people were harassed and still most of them failed to enroll their name in the electoral roll successfully. The people of Bengal are angry because they will be failed to cast their votes even being rightful Indian citizens. You have deleted the names of 61 lakh women in Bengal. It has created disturbance in the entire state. So, what is the logic behind the introduction of this bill? Are you trying to snatch the rights of women as you have done in the case of transgender community? So, we do not want delimitation to follow stubbornness, anarchy, and injustice. What is the behaviour of those who are talking about women reservation? We have seen in last 5 years that the PM came to Kolkata and insulted the Chief Minister of West Bengal. You must be thinking that while referring to PM I am talking about Our Prime Minister but no I did not mean Prime Minister but to the people of Bengal he is a local goon. Frankly speaking, I do not expect anything more from your party whose minister commented on an elected female chief minister to wear ankle bells and dance. Their former MP commented on Chief Minister to wear short pants (Bermuda) if she wants to campaign with a plastered leg. Those who cannot respect women are talking about women empowerment today and it is a matter of disrespect to the country. I would like to say to the female members of BJP to please train the male members of your party to respect women and then talk about women empowerment. But we the AITC do a different type of politics. We just do not speak the word of the mouth but we perform. Under the leadership of Mamata Banerjee TMC has given more than 40 percent seats in the Lok Sabha to the women. Not only in politics but we have shown the way also in policies like Swastha Sathi scheme where it has been registered in the name of female and in the Swastha Sathi card they are eligible for free treatment worth Rs.5 lakh in a year. The women have been considered to play the central role in the family. After 2 years you have bought rather copy pasted the same scheme as Ayushman Bharat. The Lakhsmir Bhandar ensures that nearly 2 crore women are being economically independent every month with the stipulated amount in their bank accounts. The Kanyashree Scheme which has been internationally awarded has ensured that 68 lakh women get education, form self-help groups and are socially empowered. Not only a bill but in practical reality. We would like to remind the nation that on 7th September 2023, this bill was passed by you. It was said that out of 543 seats, 33 percent will be reserved for women. My point is why 33 percent sir and why not 50 percent. In fact whom to say, it is the wrong people who have been given the king’s role. That is why I say leave this fake forgery and yes we want women reservation but without any condition. We do not want any links with Delimitation which is dangerous and is against the spirit of the constitution. We will not allow to change the constitution so I would like to tell you all—Do come tomorrow at 4 pm like you have mentioned. We all will wait for you and be prepared because all of us unitedly will give a befitting reply democratically. These bills are not as per provisions of the constitution and an attack on the constitution. We will not allow it. We will do whatever is necessary to protect the constitution, the federal structure, and the women of our country. We will fight against any idea which is not for India.) Come tomorrow at four p.m. My friends and colleagues. Be prepared, because together, we will democratically hold you accountable and defeat you. What you are bringing is not a Constitutional Amendment. It is an assault on the Commission. We will not allow this to happen. We will democratically expose you and bring you to account. (I would like to end by quoting a poem of Mamata Banerjee, “Politics is for the people, Not for power. My religion is to stand by the people And people are my identity) Politics is for the people, not for power. Standing beside people is my duty. People are my identity. *(The more you attack, the more seats we will win in Bengal. Joy Bangla)
