Patna, Apr 19 (PTI) Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Sunday lambasted the opposition for its refusal to support an amendment to the women’s reservation bill.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP office here, Choudhary said it was a “black day” when the Constitution amendment bill fell in Lok Sabha and “women’s reservation was mocked by parties like Congress and TMC”.
“I am addressing this press conference to assure mothers and sisters of Bihar that these opposition parties will have to pay for what they have done. Women workers of our party are going to hit the streets on the issue,” he said.
Notably, state party president Sanjay Saraogi had on Saturday announced that the BJP women’s wing will on Monday take out an “aakrosh morcha” in protest against the opposition’s stance on the 131st Constitution Amendment Bill.
Although the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, which grants 33 per cent reservation to women in Parliament, had been passed by an overwhelming majority in 2023, the 131st Constitution Amendment Bill was opposed by non-NDA parties, which were wary of the quotas being linked with delimitation, suspecting that the ruling BJP-led coalition wanted to indulge in gerrymandering.
Choudhary, who assumed power less than a week ago, highlighted that women in Bihar, where 50 per cent reservations are already in place in panchayats and local bodies, have been empowered by his predecessor Nitish Kumar, who remained Chief Minister for 20 years before moving to the Rajya Sabha, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“In contrast, the Congress and its Bihar ally RJD, did nothing for women while these parties ruled Bihar. These parties follow in the footsteps of Pandit Nehru, who always tried to hinder progressive moves,” the CM alleged, without elaborating.
BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP Darshana Singh, JD(U) leader Leshi Singh, RLM MLA Snehalata Kushwaha, LJP(RV) Women Wing’s state president Shobha Sinha Paswan, and HAM MLA Jyoti Devi, who were present at the press conference, resolved to “reach out to every household in the state to make women aware about the opposition’s stand”.
Leader of the Opposition in the assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, claimed that the Bihar CM “failed to understand” the essence of the bill.
“Samrat Choudhary has somehow become the chief minister of the state, but now he is unable to understand the essence of the bill that was defeated in the Lok Sabha. Under the garb of women’s reservation, they were trying to push the delimitation process,” he said.
Yadav said the opposition is in full support of the Women’s Reservation Act, which was passed in Parliament three years ago.
“We are not opposed to women’s reservation. In fact, we want 50 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. We also want quotas within the quota for women belonging to backward classes. Why should only women from urban areas go to Parliament? Those residing in villages should also get a chance,” he said.
He alleged that the government aimed to “arbitrarily” divide constituencies through delimitation in a way that weakens “strongholds of opposition”.
The CM said India’s population has more than doubled, and delimitation was important.
“Seats should increase in proportion to the population. Had the three bills been passed, 272 seats would have been reserved for women, at least 20 of which would be for women of Bihar. In state legislative assembly as well, the number of women MLAs would have increased from 29 to 122,” he claimed.
On the timing of the special session of Parliament aligning with the ongoing state assembly polls, Choudhary said, “Elections are held every five months in some part of the country. Timing is not the issue. There is only one issue: were women respected or insulted?” He also dispelled the allegations that “the share of southern states in the Lok Sabha would decrease” after delimitation.
“Some people are spreading misinformation. The exact number of seats of southern states would have increased, and their percentage share remained intact,” he claimed.
Choudhary said that the NDA government is committed to implementing Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam in the future.
Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary also criticised the opposition.
“I don’t know under what political thinking they have opposed the bill. This certainly has not sent a positive message to the people. Opposition leaders have stopped women from entering Lok Sabha and state assemblies; women will also stop such leaders from entering legislatures,” he claimed. PTI SUK NAC SOM
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