New Delhi, April 18: Leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), including former Union Ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad and Smriti Irani, held a press conference at the BJP headquarters. They launched a strong attack on Congress and the opposition for not supporting the Women’s Reservation Amendment Bill in Parliament.
Smriti Irani stated, “Today, Congress showcased its true face to the women of the nation during a press conference, claiming a 98-year-old favor. They suggested that the Congress party created a dream aimed at granting political rights to women. The outcome of that dream over 98 years was evident yesterday in Parliament, where women across the country witnessed Congress celebrating and belittling the political aspirations of ordinary women. For the BJP, this is not merely a struggle for power; it is a fight for the right to equality.”
Irani emphasized, “Women will remember that during Congress’s six decades of rule, 110 million women lacked access to toilets. They will recall that 250 million women were denied the necessary support to open bank accounts. It was under the BJP-NDA government that the ‘Gender Budget Framework’ was introduced for the first time.”
She continued, “Congress and its allied parties celebrated how they could deny the political rights of hardworking women who have been striving for just 33% representation. They reveled in their ability to win parliamentary struggles while disregarding women’s rights. For the BJP, this is not just a power struggle; it is about granting the right to equality.”
The former minister criticized Congress for its contradictory statements regarding the bill passed in 2023, which mentions delimitation. “I am astonished that during Congress’s press conference, they claimed to support the bill while simultaneously expressing distrust in delimitation and the constitutional framework. Congress has revealed its cruel face to the women of this country,” she remarked.
Ravi Shankar Prasad also took a jab at Priyanka Gandhi, condemning her remarks about using women. He said, “I typically refrain from criticizing Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, but this is the first time I feel compelled to do so. In a press conference, she mentioned ‘using’ women. Are the women of India mere objects to be used? This is the language of a female MP from the Indian National Congress, and we condemn it.”
Prasad elaborated on the Constitution, stating, “Without delimitation, no changes to the number of seats in the Lok Sabha or Assembly are possible. According to Article 81, Clause (2) of the Indian Constitution, Lok Sabha seats must be allocated to each state, ensuring a proportional representation based on population. With each census, the population in southern states continues to decline. Amit Shah announced that the new amendment will increase the number of seats from 543 to 850 to ensure 33% reservation. Since conducting a census takes time, delimitation can be based on the last published census. Without delimitation, no reallocation of seats is feasible.”
Prasad concluded, “Congress argues that 33% reservation can be implemented within the existing 543 seats. However, due to the declining population growth rate in southern states, their relative share of seats may decrease. It is unfortunate that southern states are also affected by this narrative. The DMK is deliberately denying women their constitutional right to become MPs or MLAs.”
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