Priyanka Gandhi, Amit Shah And Amusing 'Chanakya' Moment In Parliament

Home Minister Amit Shah, along with other BJP leaders, was seen smiling against whom a back-handed compliment, and with a smile thrown in, was directed by Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi. 

"He is laughing," Priyanka Gandhi, participating in the debate on the three bills introduced for amendments in the women's-quota law and setting up a delimitation commission, said referring to Amit Shah.

"Grahmantri ji has rahe hain. Poori yojana bana rakhi hai, Chanakya agar jinda hote toh woh bhi chauk jaate aapki rajnitik kutilta par (The Home Minister is laughing. The whole plan is made. If Chanakya were alive today, he would have also been shocked by your political shrewdness)," Priyanka Gandhi said in jest, questioning the political intent behind the timing and framing of the Women's Reservation Bill.

"He (Shah) made the whole plan and he is laughing now. He agrees with me," the Congress leader said.

The Chanakya comment drew a smile from the Home Minister, who did not appear to take offense.

Priyanka Gandhi said the bill talks of increasing the number of Lok Sabha seats to up to 850 - to be done by a delimitation commission on the basis of the 2011 Census data.

"This seems fine on the surface but the real meaning comes to the fore when one carefully reads it. It smells of politics," she said, switching gears and turning up the political heat on the government.

Why can't reservation for women be granted in these very 543 Lok Sabha seats today, Priyanka Gandhi asked.

"This reservation can be passed today itself and it will not harm the country through needless delimitation," she said.

"Had the prime minister undertaken this historic step with sincerity, the entire House would have supported it," the Congress leader said.

She said on reading the fine print, it shows that the three members of the delimitation commission will decide the fate of the states and their representation in Parliament.

She accused the government of once again wanting to "dupe" people and launching a "big attack on the country's integrity".

"On one hand there is this big talk of women's reservation and on the other hand, the rights of OBC are being taken away. A strong structure is being erected for the next polls by reducing the influence of small states, shredding democracy to pieces," she alleged.