The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today strongly condemned the conduct of the Congress party during the discussion on the historic Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, the Women’s Reservation Bill, in Assam Legislative Assembly today.
The BJP, in a statement, said, “At a time when the nation was witnessing a landmark step towards women empowerment and greater political participation of women, the Congress party chose to stage a protest and walk out instead of participating constructively in the discussion. Such behaviour clearly exposes the anti-women mindset of the Congress party, which has repeatedly failed to genuinely support women-led progress in the country.”
The people of India must ask, if Congress truly stood for women empowerment, why did they refuse to participate in a debate concerning 33 percent reservation for women in legislatures? A party committed to women’s rights would have welcomed the opportunity to discuss, strengthen and support such a historic constitutional reform, the statement said.
The BJP alleged that the Congress has historically treated women empowerment merely as a political slogan.
“Despite having prominent women leaders such as Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and even during the tenure of Indira Gandhi, Congress never demonstrated serious commitment towards ensuring large-scale political participation and institutional empowerment for women across the country,” it added.
The BJP said it firmly believes that true democracy can only be achieved when women receive rightful representation in decision-making institutions. The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam is not merely a bill, it is a historic step towards inclusive nation-building and the realization of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a stronger, empowered and self-reliant India, the saffron party said, reiterating its unwavering commitment towards women empowerment and urged all political parties to rise above narrow political interests and support this transformational reform in the true spirit of democracy and constitutional responsibility.