The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) slammed Congress and its allies for voting against the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha, accusing them of adopting an “anti-women mindset” and betraying women of the country.
The Hindu nationalist party’s print media advertisements, published across a few newspapers on Saturday, April 18, are painting the Opposition party as anti-women for rejecting the Bill introduced to tweak the women quota law alongside the Delimitation Bill.
“Prime Minister Modi is committed to 33 per cent reservation for women. He brought a Constitutional Amendment. A true guarantee of justice. The Bharatiya Janata Party stands resolute and committed to protecting and empowering women’s rights,” the advertisement read.
“But Congress revealed its anti-women mindset, rejecting women’s reservation. Now the women of India will ask: Why is Congress anti-women?”
Although the Opposition largely approved the women’s reservation, they strongly resisted the Delimitation Bill that sought to redraw the borders of Assembly constituencies to reflect the population numbers in Parliament.
Southern states strongly showed their disapproval, with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, even burning a copy of the Bill, dubbing it “black law” since it significantly lowers their seat count in the Lok Sabha, as it would be based on the population of each state.
Subsequently, on Friday, April 17, the Constitution Amendment Bill was defeated in Lok Sabha after the BJP-led Union government could not get past the two-thirds majority needed to pass it.
Addressing the media in Parliament House complex, BJP national president Nitin Nabin said the day “could have been written in golden letters” but for the “grave betrayal” of the Congress and its allies.
“The Congress party and its anti-women alliance, led by Rahul Gandhi and his team, have committed a grave betrayal against half of the country’s population,” he said.
He said the Bill could have been a landmark step towards ensuring greater participation and representation for women, but the Opposition, including the Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), deprived women of their “due rights and share.”
“Through this entire episode, the anti-women character of the Congress alliance has been thoroughly and completely exposed,” he said.
Opposition to appeal to the PM on implementing women’s quota
According to news agency ANI, the Opposition will be submitting a formal petition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding that the Women’s Reservation Act, 2023, be implemented.
The parties constituting the INDIA alliance will be holding press conferences across states to affirm that although they support women’s reservation, the “government was trying to change the political map of the country under its guise.”
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