The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has strongly criticized the Congress party's actions concerning the Women's Reservation Bill, alleging that they have repeatedly obstructed the bill's progress over the years. The BJP contends that, after the Union Cabinet approved and introduced the bill in Parliament, the Congress is now attempting to claim undue credit for the initiative. The BJP pointed out that despite being the largest party in the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A), the Congress has consistently paid mere lip service to women's representation while simultaneously undermining it through their alliance partners and members of parliament.
On a significant note, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal presented the much-anticipated Women's Reservation Bill, named "Nari Shakti Vandan Vidheyak," in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. This move came after the Union Cabinet gave its clearance to the bill. The legislation aims to reserve 33% of seats in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies for women. Remarkably, this initiative garnered unanimous support from all political parties, despite the Congress claiming that it had originated from the UPA leadership under Sonia Gandhi. In response, the BJP asserted that the Congress was merely attempting to appropriate undeserved credit.
In a press release issued on Tuesday, the BJP highlighted several instances where it alleges that the Congress obstructed the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill. Furthermore, the BJP contended that the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government had introduced the bill in Parliament multiple times, but the Congress and its allies consistently thwarted its passage. Prime Minister Modi also acknowledged that the Vajpayee government failed to pass the bill due to a lack of necessary majority, accusing the Congress of hypocrisy for obstructing a bill they publicly supported.
The BJP went on to claim that the Congress orchestrated a "drama" in the Lok Sabha through its allies, effectively preventing the bill from advancing. Senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi even admitted that "some members of her party opposed it," which the BJP alleged led to her inability to secure the necessary support. Furthermore, the BJP accused the Congress of yielding to pressure from its alliance partners, who allegedly blackmailed the party into withdrawing support for the bill when introduced by the BJP. The BJP also shared a video of Gandhi's interview, where she appeared to hint that Congress allies were not in alignment with the party on the Bill due to certain "compulsions."
The BJP also provided detailed accounts of past physical disruptions when the bill was introduced, including instances of members snatching copies of the bill and creating disturbances in the Rajya Sabha, resulting in suspensions.
The statement featured quotations from prominent political figures such as Sharad Yadav, Mulayam Singh Yadav, and Lalu Prasad Yadav, who made controversial remarks while opposing the bill. These figures raised concerns about the bill's impact on minority communities and argued that it could lead to an imbalance in parliamentary representation.
The BJP asserted that it has consistently supported the Women's Reservation Bill throughout its presence in Parliament. According to the party, it maintained a steadfast commitment to the legislation, both in and out of power. The party underlined that the Congress was able to pass the bill through the Rajya Sabha in 2010 only with the support of the BJP, despite having the necessary majority. The BJP emphasized that it was one of the few parties that consistently backed the bill.
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