Chandigarh, April 17 -- Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday demanded that the Union government either implement the women's reservation law based on the current Lok Sabha strength or ensure that any increase in seats is applied proportionately across all states. Speaking after the introduction of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill and the Delimitation Bill in the Lok Sabha, Mann cautioned against using the delimitation exercise for partisan benefit. While affirming his support for women's reservation, Mann argued that the quota should be applied to the existing 543 seats. He expressed concern over potential disparities if the House strength is expanded to 850, alleging that the BJP intends to disproportionately increase seats in regions where it is historically strong while suppressing numbers in opposition-held areas. "If you increase seats in one state from 85 to 140, then Punjab's 13 seats must rise to 20, and West Bengal's 42 should reach 60," Mann said, insisting that the process must be driven by census data rather than "wrong intentions." Echoing these concerns, AAP leader Manish Sisodia alleged that the legislative package serves as a "garb" for tampering with the country's demographic representation. Sisodia accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of adopting a "trend" of redrawing boundaries or cutting votes in areas where the BJP struggles to win. Labelling the move a "Modi Vidhan," Sisodia claimed the delimitation strategy is designed to inflate seat counts in BJP strongholds while reducing them elsewhere. Chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday announced development projects worth Rs.177 crore in Batala, outlining a mix of infrastructure upgrades and civic works aimed at improving urban services and connectivity. The package includes over Rs.95.72 crore for municipal corporation projects, Rs.16 crore for works by the mandi board and Rs.65 crore for road construction by the public works department (PWD). Additional repair works worth Rs.42.56 crore and Rs.34.97 crore were also announced. Key initiatives include the construction of new bridges, a modern bus stand to ease traffic congestion, and Rs.14.81 crore allocated for new police lines. Addressing a gathering, Mann said the people of Punjab had ended "three generations of Akali-Congress loot" in 2022 and would not allow their return to power in 2027. He accused previous governments of deliberately weakening anti-sacrilege laws to shield offenders. "The Akalis deliberately framed a weak law against beadbi (sacrilege) to ensure perpetrators were not punished. They feared accountability themselves, so they kept the laws weak," he said. The CM highlighted the passage of the Jaagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar (Amendment) Bill, 2026, stating that it provides for stricter punishment in sacrilege cases. "Now, anyone found guilty will face exemplary action as a deterrent," he added. HTC...