Women reservation to be a key factor in 2027: BJP chief
NOIDA: Uttar Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Pankaj Chaudhary said on Tuesday that The Women Reservation Bill will be "a key factor in upcoming state assembly elections in 2027" and the party is running a nation-wide campaign over the issue after the opposition parties worked against it
The Constitution Amendment Bill meant to tweak the Women's Reservation Bill was defeated in Lok Sabha on April 17 as the government failed to get a 2/3rd (special majority) during the voting in the House. While 298 members voted in favour of the bill, 230 members voted against it.
Speaking at a press briefing held in Noida's Sector 70, Chaudhary briefed media on the "Jan Aakrosh Mahila Abhiyan" campaign launched on Tuesday in Noida.
While stressing that the BJP government is "working to empower women on all fronts", the UP BJP state president described the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (Women Reservation Bill) as "a key that holds the potential to make the country stronger and prosperous".
Attacking the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress for opposing the Bill, and favouring dynastic politics, the BJP leader said, "When women take charge, family favouritism will end. The opposition parties do not want women to be a part of the decision- making of the society and the country."
On voting against the Bill, the BJP leader criticised the SP and the Congress, saying that they "opposed the historic change it would bring to women's lives. They derailed women's social empowerment. These people, blinded by hatred for Modi ji, are so disoriented that they're ready to celebrate denying women their rights. They know that when women take charge, family favouritism will end."
Meanwhile, describing Noida as not just the UP's but "the country's fastest-growing city", Chaudhary, who is also union minister of state for finance, said, "The state's path to progress runs through this city. This progress isn't just due to men — women have an equal 50% share in it."
"We all know the situation before 2017 — street harassment was commonplace in cities. When daughters and sisters stepped out, families remained anxious until they returned safely," said Chaudhary. But a "change became visible" after the BJP government was formed in the state in 2017 and various steps were undertaken for women safety, he added.
He said the BJP is committed to women's rights.
Citing the example of the present-day Noida, where a large number of women work in various companies, he said, "Due to the double-engine government's efforts, the number of working women in the state has reached 36-37% in the last nine years. They can work freely be it day or night because our regime has delivered rule of law."
In response, the Samajwadi party's Noida president Ashray Gupta blamed the BJP of "fooling the public by dividing it in the name of religion instead of giving them employment and safety".
"If there is better law and order, why Noida witnessed rioting by daily wage workers. BJP is not working for any section, including the women, as they have brought the women reservation bill for West Bengal and Assam elections. BJP's allegations are baseless."
Congress spokesperson Anil Yadav also countered the BJP's allegation saying, "Inspite of being in power for 12 years BJP has denied reservation to women in the parliament… The bill that was defeated by the opposition was the delimitation bill that has nothing to do with women reservation. BJP is lying to the women of India."
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Chaudhary also addressed the party workers in Sector 70, along with Western Uttar Pradesh president Satendra Shishodiya and Noida MLA and the party's state vice-president Pankaj Singh.
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