Fadnavis Condemns Opposition's Stance on Women's Reservation Bill
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has launched a scathing attack on opposition parties, accusing them of exposing their anti-constitutional face through their opposition to the Women's Reservation Bill. Speaking at a BJP-organized event in Mumbai, Fadnavis claimed the opposition is driven by a mindset to eliminate women's power in Indian politics.
Historic Struggle for Women's Representation
Addressing the Jan Akrosh Mahila Sammelan at Worli on Tuesday, Fadnavis traced the long history of the women's reservation movement. The idea of giving reservation to women has been under consideration since 1996, he noted, highlighting the persistent efforts to achieve gender parity in legislative bodies.
The Chief Minister contrasted different political approaches to the issue: It was late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who made three attempts to get the reservation for women bill passed, but could not succeed because he did not have a majority. In contrast, Fadnavis alleged that the Congress made no such efforts even when the Manmohan Singh government had a two-thirds majority.
Current Political Battle Over Women's Quota
Fadnavis credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi with taking the initiative to bring 33% reservation for women, framing it as a continuation of the BJP's commitment to women's empowerment. He asserted that the fight for women's reservation will only end when 33% of seats in Parliament and state assemblies are occupied by women.
The Chief Minister offered a stark interpretation of opposition resistance: The opposition opposed the bill, fearing if the women's power of this country awakened, their political shop would shut down. He further suggested that opposition leaders worry that if common people came into the mainstream, their own daughters' prospects would be affected.
Mass Mobilization Plan Announced
Fadnavis outlined an ambitious plan to counter opposition resistance, warning that if the fire is not lit now, the opposition will continue to suppress women's voices every time. He called for large-scale awareness campaigns to build momentum for the women's reservation cause.
The most dramatic proposal involved signature collection: Signatures of one crore women will need to be collected and slapped on the faces of Rahul Gandhi and Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders, Fadnavis declared, using vivid language to emphasize the intensity of the political battle.
BJP Demonstrations in Mumbai
The Chief Minister's remarks came during a significant political mobilization. Earlier on Tuesday, women party workers along with several BJP leaders staged a demonstration from Jamboori Maidan in Worli to the NSCI Dome. Participants shouted slogans condemning the opposition's position on women's reservation, creating a visible show of support for the bill.
Fadnavis framed the current moment as critical for women's political empowerment in India, positioning the BJP as the party championing this cause while portraying opposition parties as obstacles to gender equality in representation.
