The BJP is using women of India as a human shield for electioneering, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi told the Lok Sabha on Friday (April 17, 2026) as she strongly argued for delinking delimitation from the women’s reservation law.

Ms. Kanimozhi also suggested that the Centre convene a constitutional conference of all Chief Ministers to move forward on the contentious issue of redrawing legislative constituencies and boundaries.

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Participating in the debate on the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, which seeks to amend the women’s reservation law and implement it for the 2029 Lok Sabha election, and the Delimitation Bill for redrawing of the parliamentary and Assembly constituencies, Ms. Kanimozhi responded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘kala tika‘ [evil eye spot] jibe.

On Thursday, Mr. Modi, commenting on DMK members in the House wearing black clothes as a sign of protest against the amendment Bill, said their attire works as a ‘kala tika‘ to ward off evil eye. There is a tradition to apply ‘kala tika‘ before commencing a good work, Mr. Modi had added while “thanking” the DMK members.

Hitting back, Ms. Kanimozhi who was dressed in a black saree, said, “I am surprised that people who are there to defend Hindutva were not reminded of goddess Kali, the dark goddess who wears black and the one who drives away ego, arrogance and ignorance”. She also said black is also the colour of DMK’s intellectual leader Periyar, who has taught them to fight till the end.

Questioning the timing of the Bills and calling them “breathtaking political,” she said, “The BJP is using the women of India as a human shield for electioneering.” The proposed delimitation worked against federalism and punished the southern States for lowering fertility rates, she said, highlighting that Tamil Nadu had a fertility rate even lower than the developed countries.