J&K women shining on all fronts, deserve bigger role: Rajasthan Minister
Srinagar, 23 Apr: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Rajasthan Cabinet Minister for Industries and Commerce and Youth Affairs and Sports, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, on Thursday said the the women of Jammu and Kashmir have demonstrated remarkable talent and resilience across diverse fields, and now deserve greater representation and opportunities.
Highlighting the role of women in J&K, Rathore said they (women) are increasingly active in politics and public life. "Women here are contributing significantly, and they deserve proper representation at every level," he added.
Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, Rathore reiterating the party's stance, he said, "The people of India have decided to give due representation to women. The BJP will not rest until women get their rightful reservation at both the state and national levels."
While slamming the opposition parties for opposing the women's reservation bill, Rathore said that the bill was discussed multiple times — in 1996, 1998, 1999, and again in 2008 — but failed to be passed despite deliberations, including during Congress-led governments.
"The difference is between those who only discuss and those who implement," he said, adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intent became evident when the Bill was passed in 2023 in both Houses of Parliament with support from across party lines.
However, Rathore explained that the 2023 legislation linked implementation of the reservation to the completion of the Census and delimitation process. "Census takes one to two years, and delimitation another two to three years. This would have delayed women's reservation beyond 2029," he said.
He said that to address this delay, an amendment was brought on April 16 to ensure timely implementation. "Our intention was clear — we want women to get their due reservation, especially in the 2029 Lok Sabha elections," Rathore stated.
Criticising the Congress, he said the party opposed the move without fully understanding the implications. "Congress argued that the Bill had already been passed and questioned the need for amendments. But they failed to recognise that implementation was tied to Census and delimitation. That is where they went wrong," he said.
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