In a stinging attack on the Centre, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Friday said the Constitution amendment Bill had nothing to do with women’s reservation, and was an attempt by the government to change the India’s electoral map by taking away representation from southern, north-eastern and smaller states, which was “nothing short of an anti-national act”.He alleged that the legislation was aimed at redrawing India’s electoral balance rather than empowering women.Speaking in the Lok Sabha during the special Parliament session, the senior Congress leader said the government was using women’s reservation as a cover to pursue political objectives and retain power. He accused the Centre of attempting to weaken the political voice of OBCs and Dalits through constituency restructuring.Rahul said the Opposition would resist what he described as an “anti-national” move and defeat any attempt to alter the democratic structure for partisan gain.Related news: Women reservation Bill fails to clear Lok Sabha testIn Lok Sabha loss, BJP eyes future wins; set to start campaign showing Opposition ‘anti-women’Congress’ outreach, Stalin’s concerns yield united Opposition rare win in Parliament“The first truth is that this is not a women’s Bill. This has nothing to do with the empowerment of women. This is an attempt to change the electoral map of India,” he said amid thumping of desks by Congress members.“Women are a central force, a driving force in our national imagination, in our national perspective. All of us in this room have been influenced, taught and have learnt a lot from women in our lives. This Bill is an attempt to change the country’s electoral map; using and hiding behind India’s women,” the LoP said.“Manuvad over Samvidhaan…Home Minister Amit Shah says the caste census has begun. He repeated twice, trying to be clever, saying that houses don’t have a caste. The point is whether or not the caste census is going to be used in representation in Parliament and state assemblies. And now, what you are trying to say is that the caste census has nothing to do with representation for the next 15 years…,” he said.He said the proposed delimitation exercise would alter the electoral map in a way that benefited the ruling BJP and undermined existing social justice frameworks.Rahul alleged that the move was designed to reduce the political influence of backward communities and marginalised sections.Despite criticising the Bill, Rahul praised the role of women in society and politics, saying they remain central to the country’s identity and progress.He said women had shaped the lives and thinking of everyone in Parliament through their influence as mothers, sisters and family members.During his speech, Rahul also injected humour into the debate with a remark that drew laughter in the House.“The Prime Minister and I don’t have the wife issue…,” he said, referring to the role women play in shaping men’s lives.He also referred to his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and joked that she had achieved something he had not managed in years by making Defence Minister Rajnath Singh smile.The LoP ended his speech in the Lok Sabha with a riddle. Rahul referred to the number “16” in a cryptic manner, without explaining its meaning. “The whole answer to the riddle is in the number 16. Everything is in the number 16,” he said.He said, “Yesterday, the Prime Minister was low on energy. Suddenly, I noticed it was the 16th of April. My God, how crazy! The number: 16. The whole answer to the riddle is 16. If anybody understands, they should send me a message,” Rahul said.