Lucknow, Apr 21 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday claimed that by opposing the Constitution amendment bill to implement women’s quota, the Congress and the SP “misused” the option given to them by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to shed their “anti-women image”.
He made the remarks after participating in the ‘Jan Aakrosh Mahila Padyatra’ here to protest against the Opposition’s obstruction of the bill.
Thousands of women marched from the chief minister’s residence to the Vidhan Bhavan via Civil Hospital. Adityanath led the march along with Union minister and Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Pankaj Chaudhary, deputy chief ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, leaders of allied parties, members of the cabinet and office bearers of various BJP units.
Adityanath said, “In protest against this injustice, women across the country have taken to the streets in a democratic manner to express their anger. Despite the intense heat in Lucknow, the participation of thousands of women reflected widespread public support and blessings for the policies of the prime minister.” He said even after the ‘aakrosh rally’ concludes here, it must be carried forward as a campaign in every district, every division, and at every booth level.
The government’s Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill to implement women’s quota and increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816 was defeated in the Lower House last Friday.
Addressing party workers outside the Uttar Pradesh legislative building, Adityanath said, “Be it the Congress or the Samajwadi Party, their face is undemocratic, their deeds are anti-women. They tried to misuse the option given to them by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to shed their anti-women image.” “Hence, the ‘aadhee abadee’ (women) is staging protests on the streets across the country against the Congress and its allies,” he added.
Adityanath also said the march symbolises the resentment among women against the “anti-women” attitude of the Congress, Samajwadi Party, TMC and the DMK.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said there are only four castes in the country. The first caste is women, the second is poor, the third is youth, the fourth is farmers. By centering all policies around these four groups, he has successfully steered the nation to a new pinnacle of economic progress,” he noted.
“Whether it is the work of ushering in a new era of infrastructure, preserving India’s rich heritage in alignment with the vision of a ‘new India,’ or implementing schemes aimed at the uplift of various sections of society, the focal point of all these schemes is ‘Nari Shakti’ (women power). Numerous programmes have been launched specifically to ensure their dignity, security, and self-reliance,” he said.
Citing various schemes for women, Adityanath said they serve as foundation for their self-reliance.
“Prime Minister Modi has formulated all these schemes by placing the ‘aadhee aabadee’ (women) as well as the poor, the youth, and the ‘annadata’ (farmers) at the centre,” he said.
The chief minister also said that the Swachh Bharat Mission is not merely a campaign to raise awareness about cleanliness but one dedicated to safeguarding the dignity of women.
The provision of free cooking gas cylinders under the Ujjwala Scheme serves not only as a means of supplying fuel, but also as a foundation for self-reliance; it has become an instrument for protecting health and preserving the eyesight.
The Ayushman Bharat scheme serves not only the objective of ensuring good health, but also acts as a catalyst for guiding families onto the path of self-reliance, he said.
State BJP chief Chaudhary termed the INDIA bloc as anti-women alliance and said it will bear its consequences in the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.
He added that under Modi’s leadership, continuous efforts are being made for women’s empowerment.
He claimed some parties argued the Constitution amendment bill would create a divide between north and south India, while others demanded separate reservation for Muslim women.
He said all objections were answered in detail in the Parliament, but the opposition, in pursuit of vote-bank politics, ended up hurting the interests of 80 per cent majority women in the name of 20 per cent minority women.
“The SP and the Congress continued to oppose the Women’s Reservation (Bill), because they knew that if ordinary women move ahead, the very foundations of their family would be shaken. It is for this reason that they continued to oppose the bill,” Chaudhary claimed.
Deputy Chief Minister Maurya said, “The SP will be wiped out.” He questioned whether any party can win elections in 2027 without women’s support. If women are not given reservation, SP and Congress will not receive votes, he warned.
Fellow deputy chief minister Pathak said, “Today, the women of the state are out on the streets. Due to the alleged nexus and narrow mindset of SP and Congress, the (amendment to) Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam was obstructed in Parliament. Angry women in Uttar Pradesh are now confronting these parties publicly, and they will have to bear the consequences in upcoming elections.” He claimed that during SP governments, criminals openly harassed women, which is why slogans like “Dekh Sapaai, bitiya ghabraayee (daughter gets frightened on seeing a SP worker)” are raised.
Rajya Sabha member Arun Singh said, “On April 17, women across the country had hoped for a positive decision on the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam. It could have been a historic day celebrated nationwide. However, Congress and SP opposed the amendment and voted against it in Parliament.” This has led to widespread public anger, which is why such a large gathering has assembled to declare that they will never forgive these parties, he said. PTI NAV ZMN
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