Congress opposed measures empowering women, says Assam BJP leader
Guwahati: Assam BJP Mahila Morcha president and Mangaldoi constituency candidate Nilima Devi on Monday extended strong support to the Women’s Reservation Bill and claimed that the Congress had opposed measures aimed at empowering women politically.
Addressing reporters here, Devi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had taken a historic and decisive step by bringing forward the proposal for 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures.
She alleged that the Congress, by resisting the Bill that was linked to delimitation, had worked against the interests and constitutional rights of women seeking greater participation in governance and decision-making.
“The Prime Minister has shown genuine commitment towards women’s empowerment through this landmark initiative. Those opposing it are denying women their rightful place in politics,” she claimed.
Devi said the Mahila Morcha had organised a candle march protest to register its opposition to what she termed attempts to block women’s political rights.
She added that women workers and supporters had joined the programme in large numbers.
According to her, the campaign in favour of the Bill would be intensified in the coming days across different parts of the state. She further informed that nearly 1,000 women are expected to participate in a protest programme on April 28 to voice strong support for the legislation and press for its implementation.
Devi said women across the country were increasingly aware of their political rights and would continue to raise their voice for adequate representation in elected bodies.
The development comes in the backdrop of the special session of Parliament convened from April 16, during which the government attempted to push forward the Women’s Reservation Bill.
However, the session failed to pass the legislation amid strong resistance and objections raised by the Congress and several other Opposition parties about linking it to delimitation, leading to a political deadlock.
The proposed legislation seeks to reserve one-third of seats in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies for women, a long-pending demand that has seen multiple attempts over the years by various governments at the Centre, without fruition.
The Centre has maintained that the Bill is a landmark reform aimed at correcting historical gender imbalance in political representation.
Opposition parties, however, have argued that the Bill, which has been linked to delimitation, requires further deliberation, particularly on provisions related to sub-quotas for Other Backward Classes and minority women. They have also questioned the timing and implementation framework proposed by the government.