Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Friday launched a sharp attack on the Opposition ahead of Parliament's Monsoon Session, alleging that parties opposing delimitation and the Women's Reservation Act would once again be exposed before the country.
Addressing the media at his residence in Jodhpur, Shekhawat said the Opposition's "double standards" had already been exposed during the previous Parliament session and claimed the same would happen again when the issue comes up during the upcoming session.
Shekhawat said the increasing population has led to a steady rise in the number of voters in Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies, making delimitation a constitutional necessity. He noted that provisions for delimitation were incorporated into the Constitution after Independence and that the Delimitation Act envisages a fresh exercise after 2025.
According to the Union Minister, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is committed not only to increasing women's participation in nation-building but also to ensuring their effective representation in legislatures. He said delimitation is an essential step for implementing women's reservation in elected bodies.
Criticising the Opposition over the Women's Reservation legislation, Shekhawat alleged that its "anti-women mindset" became evident during discussions in the previous Parliament session. He said that once the Monsoon Session begins, the Business Advisory Committee will decide the legislative agenda and maintained that those opposing the measure should be prepared to answer before the people.
Calling the day historic for India's infrastructure development, Shekhawat said the country is witnessing rapid transformation under the vision of 'Viksit Bharat'. He said the Centre is modernising around 1,500 railway stations across the country under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, with investments running into thousands of crores.
Describing Jaisalmer as both his birthplace and former workplace, Shekhawat said it was a matter of pride to witness the transformation of one of India's most important border and tourism districts. Highlighting infrastructure achievements in Rajasthan, Shekhawat said the country has witnessed remarkable improvements in roads, railway infrastructure and aviation over the past decade.
He said railway electrification has expanded rapidly across the country, Hydrogen-powered trains are expected to be introduced soon, the number of airports has more than doubled nationwide, a modern airport has been developed in Jodhpur, and railway stations at Jodhpur, Phalodi, and Ramdevra are being upgraded.
Railway maintenance, washing and operational facilities worth over Rs 1,000 crore are being developed in the Jodhpur-Jaisalmer region. More than 42 new train services have been introduced for Jodhpur over the past several years. Shekhawat thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the Centre has consistently responded positively to Rajasthan's development needs by prioritising key infrastructure projects.