Cong empowered females from one dynasty: Sharma
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Apr 19: Accusing opposition parties led by Congress for “hatching a conspiracy” to derail the Women’s Reservation Bill, Union Minister, Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri warned that they (Opposition) played with fire and will face serious consequences for this.
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Talking to media persons here today along with Rajya Sabha MP and former National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson, Rekha Sharma and BJP president and MP (RS), Sat Sharma, Puri said even at the last minute, the Government made efforts to accommodate the Opposition’s concerns to ensure passage of the Bill but they had made up with their mind to derail it.
The BJP leaders asserted that the Bill is not merely a political issue but a social cause aiming to ensure equitable representation, and maintained that Opposition will face the consequences of public backlash. Click here to watch video
Puri said Home Minister, Amit Shah had appealed in the House for an hour to incorporate suggestions but the offer was rejected.
“They were not interested in constructive engagement. This was a deliberate attempt to derail the discussion and stall a historic reform,” Puri said.
He said that all of this was part of a conspiracy by Congress and its alliance parties, including DMK, TMC and Samajwadi Party, and they do not want this law to be implemented before the 2029 elections.
“However, after listening carefully to the address to the nation by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi on Saturday, it is clear that the national mood is still in favour of implementing this before 2029,” the Minister added.
Calling the bill a “transformative step” in India’s democratic journey, the Minister said the move seeks to transition from women-centric welfare to women-led development.
He reiterated that the Government has been committed to 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures since 2014, when it was clearly outlined in the BJP’s manifesto.
Highlighting the Government’s track record, Puri pointed to schemes focused on women’s empowerment, including the construction of around 11 crore toilets and nearly three crore houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, with ownership largely given to women, and plans underway to build an additional four crore houses.
On the contentious issue of delimitation, Puri said it is a necessary precondition for implementing reservation.
Dismissing opposition claims that Southern states would be at disadvantage, he cited data presented in the Parliament showing proportionally seats increase across states such as Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Accusing opposition parties of spreading misinformation, the Minister said, “There is no North-South divide in the proposed framework.”
He said the Government remains determined to push for implementation before the 2029 general elections, reflecting what he described as the “national mood.”
He said if opposition parties continue to block the Bill, the Government will take the issue directly to the people.
The former NCW chairperson, Rekha Sharma echoing similar sentiments, termed the defeat of the Bill “shameless” and likened it to a “foeticide of women’s rights.”
Sharma accused Opposition parties, particularly the Congress, of consistently blocking the legislation over the past three decades through shifting positions and procedural hurdles.
“They kept changing their stand, first demanding reservation within reservation, then opposing delimitation. The intention was never to pass the bill,” Sharma said.
Launching a blistering attack on Congress, she said “The party remains confined to dynastic politics, revolving around females from single family, namely Indira, Sonia and Priyanka with little regard for empowering women beyond that dynasty. Even the other women in the party were being humiliated to please these entitled females”.
Former Minster and BJP vice president, Priya Sethi, president, Mahila Morcha J&K, Neha Mahajan, party general secretary, Sanjita Dogra, senior leaders, Veenu Khanna and Shailja Gupta were also present in the press conference.
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