Hans News Service
Kalaburagi
MedicalEducation Minister Dr. Sharanprakash Patil strongly condemned the Central government for its perceived hasty decision to implement women’s reservation and undertake delimitation of Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies, claiming it reflects political self-interest rather than public welfare.
Speaking at a press conference, the minister questioned why the Centre had remained silent on women’s reservation for 15 long years and suddenly taken a cabinet decision now. He pointed out that if the policy had been introduced decades earlier, women would have greatly benefited. He asked who was responsible for the injustice done to women all these years.
Dr. Patil alleged that the proposal for women’s reservation has surfaced only because of impending elections in five states. The issue should have been discussed during the recently concluded Parliament session, where opposition views could have been considered. Instead, he said the Centre appears more interested in political gains than genuine women’s empowerment.
He claimed that during the Bihar elections, the Centre had reduced GST rates and deposited money directly into people’s accounts. He questioned where the taxes collected from citizens over decades had gone. In contrast, he noted that the Congress government in Karnataka faces notices even for implementing its five guarantee schemes. He further claimed that the Election Commission seems to dance to the tune of Prime Minister Modi and Amit Shah.
The minister also expressed suspicion over the delimitation exercise, saying increasing the number of constituencies based on the 1991 census appears to be a deliberate attempt to reduce the political strength of southern Indian states. He suggested that if needed, delimitation should be done on the basis of the 1971 census and questioned the reason behind the current hurry.
On the controversy surrounding Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s remarks, Dr. Patil clarified that Kharge had criticised the RSS ideology as venomous, not targeted any individual personally. He pointed out that BJP leaders have repeatedly used harsh terms like “Urban Naxals,” “anti-nationals,” “tukde tukde gang,” and “looters of the nation” against Congress leaders, including Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi. He asked why criticism from the other side is considered acceptable while similar remarks from Congress are not.
He condemned the BJP for making light comments against Kharge and advised that any criticism of the senior Congress leader should be made with due responsibility and maturity.
Dr. Patil urged political parties to focus on development issues instead of mudslinging. He accused the BJP of never discussing development and instead specialising in raising sensitive matters for political gain.
The minister also highlighted positive steps in medical education. The government plans to start new government medical colleges in Bagalkot and Ramanagara, which will receive approval after inspection by the National Medical Council. He added that last year saw an increase of 400 medical seats, and this year another 450 seats are expected to be added.