Guwahati, 27 May (HS): The Bharatiya Janata Party Assam Pradesh on Wednesday criticised the Congress party for staging a walkout during the discussion on the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, also known as the Women’s Reservation Bill, in the Assam Legislative Assembly.
In a statement issued here, the BJP alleged that the Congress party’s protest during the debate exposed what it termed an “anti-women mindset”. The party said that at a time when the country was witnessing a historic step towards women empowerment and greater political participation of women, Congress chose not to participate constructively in the discussion of 33% reservation for women in legislatures.
The BJP further claimed that Congress had historically used women empowerment as a political slogan without ensuring large-scale institutional participation of women in governance. Referring to Congress-ruled states, the BJP alleged that issues related to women’s safety, welfare implementation and institutional support still remain a concern.
Highlighting the initiatives of the Central government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP said the country had moved from the idea of “women development” to “women-led development”. The party cited schemes such as Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Ujjwala Yojana, Mudra Yojana and the Lakhpati Bideow initiative as examples of programmes aimed at empowering women economically and socially.
The BJP also defended the process of delimitation in connection with the implementation of the Women’s Reservation Bill, stating that delimitation is a constitutional process and necessary to ensure fair political representation. The party asserted that women, who constitute nearly half of India’s population, deserve proportionate representation in decision-making institutions.
Reiterating its support for the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, BJP Assam Pradesh urged all political parties to support the legislation and work collectively towards strengthening women’s participation in governance and nation-building.------
Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash
