BJP using women’s reservation as ‘political shield’ for divisive motives: Supriya Shr
BJP using women’s reservation as ‘political shield’ for divisive motives: Supriya Shrinate
M.U.H
19/04/202625
New Delhi: Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of using women’s reservation as a “political shield” for divisive motives.
Speaking at a press briefing at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) office on Sunday, Shrinate said that the ruling party is “rattled” because the opposition has exposed their “conspiracies.”
A Constitution amendment bill to expand the size of the Lok Sabha and fast-track 33% reservation for women failed to garner the required two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha on Friday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a 30-minute address to the nation on Saturday evening said the Congress was a parasite on regional parties and opposed to any kind of reform because of selfish politics and insecurity. He added that the four main opposition parties—the Congress, the Samajwadi Party, the Trinamool Congress and the DMK— that helped block the amendments to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam will face the consequences.
“It (bill) was brought with good intention, honesty and was a pious attempt. It was an attempt to make women co-travellers in the country’s progress. It was an attempt to strengthen the voice of every state in Parliament, irrespective of its size and population… But this honest intention was aborted by the Congress and its allies. These four parties are responsible for this bhrun hatya (female foeticide),” the PM said in his televised address and dubbed the Opposition’s reasons as “excuses” to prevent women from getting their rights.
Shrinate attacked PM Modi saying, “In those 29 minutes, he (PM Modi during address) took the name of Congress 58 times—that means every 30th second the Prime Minister was chanting the name of Congress; this fear looks good because it implies Congress stands with truth.”
Shrinate called the Prime Minister’s address a “failed attempt to shed crocodile tears.” She alleged that the government’s true intention is not to empower women but to implement an “undemocratic delimitation” under the cover of the reservation bill.
“He suddenly wants to become a well-wisher of half the country’s population, but the reality is that women’s reservation is not even the issue; he wants to carry out a divisive and undemocratic delimitation behind the shield of women’s reservation,” he said.
Speaking on the legislative deadlock surrounding the women’s reservation bill, which was passed by Parliament on September 21, 2023, Shrinate said that the government introduced clauses regarding census and delimitation despite unanimous support, effectively postponing the bill’s benefits for years.
Shrinate demanded the immediate removal of all conditions attached to the 2023 bill to grant women their rights across all 543 parliamentary seats without further delay.
She said the BJP’s women’s representation in the Lok Sabha stands at 12.9%, trailing the national average. “If you want to give women reservation, then bring the bill tomorrow; we will all pass it together,” Shrinate said, adding that “you are depriving women of their rights to save men, and then creating a drama by shedding crocodile tears.”
