‘Please stop lying…’: Prakash Raj slams Pawan Kalyan over delimitation-linked women’s reservation Bill defeat in LS

Veteran actor Prakash Raj criticised Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan after Kalyan alleged that the Opposition was deliberately obstructing reforms aimed at strengthening democracy and empowering women, following the failure of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, in the Lok Sabha during a special session.

The defeat of the Bill, which was tied to implementing women’s reservation through a delimitation exercise, has further escalated a political standoff between the BJP-led government and opposition parties. The legislation fell short of the required two-thirds majority, securing 298 votes in favour and 230 against.

However, the Opposition has reiterated that it supports women’s reservation in principle but objects to linking it with delimitation and census-based processes. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, called the Bill an attempt to reshape India’s electoral structure, while several Congress leaders described their stance as a defence of democratic values.

Responding to Kalyan’s remarks, Prakash Raj accused him of misleading citizens and, in a strongly worded statement, said, “Please stop lying to citizens just to please Modi.”

Here’s what Prakash Raj said

He also referred to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as “gang” and criticised its stance, alleging that proposals such as the Delimitation Bill could potentially reduce parliamentary representation of southern states, including Andhra Pradesh.

Reposting Pawan Kalyan’s post on X, Prakash Raj wrote, “Please stop lying to citizens just to please Modi. Women reservation bill was approved in 2023 itself. It can be passed even now . But your gang wanted to pass Delimitation bill which would weaken the representation of South Indian states including Andhra Pradesh. Requesting you not to sell the self respect and the State rights of Andhra People who have made you DCM 🙏🙏🙏 I am ready for debate with you to explain . Are you ready #justasking.”

What was Pawan Kalyan’s post?

Kalyan, in a post on X, said, “A historic opportunity to strengthen women’s representation in India’s legislatures has been deliberately blocked by the opposition. The opposition’s stance makes it clear that they lack the intent to support transformative reforms that strengthen Bharat’s democracy and empower women. By refusing to back the Women’s Reservation Bill, they have once again placed political calculations above national progress, delaying a long-overdue step toward inclusive governance and gender justice.”

The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill to tweak the women’s quota law was introduced in Lok Sabha on Thursday after a division of votes. Two ordinary bills — the Delimitation Bill and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill to implement the proposed amended women’s quota law in Union territories of Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir — were also introduced in the House.

As per the provisions of the Bill, the number of seats in the Lok Sabha was proposed to be increased from 543 to a maximum of 850. This expansion was intended to facilitate the implementation of women’s reservation ahead of the 2029 general elections, following a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said, “The Women’s Reservation Bill we should have passed, but the delimitation we should not have passed. The government purposely linked them all together, which was very wrong. Naturally, they are going to try to exploit it politically, but I think more sensible people know what the game was. It was a political game. It was not at all a game for women, and women were being used, unfortunately, for serving a short-term political interest of the BJP… ”

He added, “We’re willing to pass the Women’s reservation 33% applicable immediately, no further delay. If they want to bring a new bill in the monsoon session, we’ll pass it. Do not link it to delimitation. Delimitation is a very big issue and requires a very serious discussion. I’m just talking to the Parliamentary Affairs Minister and saying that we need to have at some point a serious, larger discussion with all parties, all states on the future of what will happen eventually when the census results come, and the new delimitation commission has to meet what should be the guidelines. This is very serious for the future of the country, and honestly, it should not be done hastily or casually…”

Shashi Tharoor points out three major fault lines of the Delimitation bill -What are they?

Participating in a debate in the Lok Sabha on Friday, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said that a delimitation based purely on population would further marginalise the voices of those states that provide the lion’s share of the resources that keep our Union afloat.

“There are at least three major fault-lines — the balance between small states and big states; the balance between states, particularly in the South like Kerala and Tamil Nadu, which have diligently implemented national goals of population control and invested in human development, and those, mainly in the North; the balance between the states that are the engines of our economy, contributing more to the national exchequer than they receive, and those that are net recipients of central funds,” he said.

A delimitation based purely on population would further marginalise the voices of those states that provide the lion’s share of the resources that keep our Union afloat, Tharoor argued.

“We risk creating a tyranny of the demographic majority, where a handful of large, poor states could theoretically determine the fate of the entire country, leaving smaller states and those with distinct linguistic and cultural identities and economic contributions feeling like bystanders in their own country,” MP from Thiruvananthapuram said.

Following this outcome, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju stated that the government would not move forward with the remaining two related bills. The ruling BJP accused opposition parties of obstructing a landmark reform intended to secure women’s representation in legislatures. Union Home Minister Amit Shah alleged that parties such as the Congress and TMC blocked the Bill and warned of political consequences.

However, the opposition has maintained that it supports women’s reservation in principle but opposes linking it with delimitation and census processes. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, described the bill as an attempt to alter India’s electoral structure, while several Congress leaders termed the vote a defence of democratic values.

(With inputs from agencies)