Gandhinagar, Apr 19 (PTI) Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Sunday accused the Congress and its allies of insulting “nari shakti” by obstructing the women’s reservation Bill, asserting that the Opposition’s double-faced politics has been exposed before the crores of women they have deprived.
Speaking at a press conference in Gandhinagar, Patel claimed the Congress’s history of “negative politics” and “dynastic obsession” led them to derail the Bill, which provides 33 per cent reservation to women in Lok Sabha and assemblies.
The chief minister alleged that the Opposition parties have committed a major wrongdoing by creating obstacles to the implementation of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, hurting the morale of crores of women.
For decades after independence, the Congress, which ruled the country, indulged in negative politics, he claimed, adding that the party has always opposed efforts to ensure an opportunity for equal contribution from all sections in the development of the country.
“Many people have worked only to promote dynastic politics. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, people associated with the Congress culture are unable to tolerate the changes happening in the country. Their objective is that if this Act is implemented, women from ordinary families will also start getting representation in Parliament and legislative assemblies,” Patel said.
He claimed that by opposing the Bill, the Congress has exposed its narrow mindset.
“On one hand, they talk about the welfare of women, and on the other hand, when the time comes to bring legal provisions to empower women, they strongly try to stop it. This double-faced politics of theirs has now been exposed before the people,” the chief minister said.
Patel alleged that during the Congress rule, women were deprived of basic rights and facilities, including health safety, bank accounts, and protection from triple talaq.
He further noted that the Congress had also opposed ‘One Nation, One Election’, Special Intensive Revision (SIR), Uniform Civil Code, Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, and digital payments initiatives.
“This Bill wasn’t just a law, but it was a step towards empowering women by giving them 33 per cent reservation. By opposing this legislation, the Congress and its allies have insulted ‘naari shakti’,” Patel said.
Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Raksha Khadse and Gujarat BJP president Jagdish Vishwakarma were also present at the press conference.
Khadse pointed out that the Bill was not meant to support or benefit any particular party but was for all women in the country, for the nation’s youth, and their future.
“After delimitation, the number of Lok Sabha seats was expected to increase. Through this, PM Modi’s dream of bringing into politics one lakh youth, who do not belong to political families but to ordinary backgrounds, could have been fulfilled,” she said.
She claimed that Congress played politics and opposed the Bill by citing various reasons.
“First, they raised concerns about delimitation, then argued that reservation should apply to existing seats, and later demanded it be caste-based. The manner in which the Congress is engaging in politics in the name of women, the women of this country will hold them accountable in future,” she said.
Gujarat BJP chief Jagdish Vishwakarma accused the Congress of using women merely as a ‘votebank’.
The Opposition party included women’s rights in speeches but not in actual policy, which is why it failed to pass the Bill, he said, calling it a “well-orchestrated political conspiracy”. PTI KVM PD ARU
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