Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that women came out in large numbers to vote in the assembly elections in five states and union territories to teach a lesson to dynastic opposition parties, which were against the entry of more women into legislative bodies.
Addressing an all-woman convention, 'Nari Shakti Vandan', in his parliamentary constituency, he said: "We have seen in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu that sisters have cast record votes. The parties opposing women's reservation have no idea that this vote of the sisters was to punish these anti-women parties."
The Prime Minister assured women that he will leave no stone unturned to ensure that their right to reservation in legislative bodies is implemented, as he slammed the opposition parties for joining hands to defeat the Constitution amendment bill on women's reservation.
Parties rooted in dynastic politics feared losing their grip on power if more women from the grassroots entered electoral politics, he said, adding: "Parties doing politics of dynasty and appeasement consider the rise of women in law-making bodies in greater numbers as the biggest threat to their existence."
Citing the construction of the new Parliament building as proof of his government's intention "to fulfil our commitment" to giving a 33 percent quota to women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies, Modi said, "The first bill we tabled in the new Parliament building was also the same, and it was passed." When the time came to execute that, family-centric parties like Congress, Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress and DMK, "like the past 40 years", came together to prevent women from emerging as decision-makers, the Prime Minister said.
Mixing Bhojpuri with Hindi, Modi said, "Women are the keys in making a family, society and country, but they are still told - 'What will you do? You sit silently, you will not be able to do, what is the need?'"
