Bengaluru, April 18 (IANS) The Karnataka BJP has announced that its women’s wing will organise protests across the state against what it describes as an “anti-women Congress”.
A poster titled “Hands that obstruct women’s power, Congress that suppressed women’s rights” was also released at a joint press conference attended by Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashoka and Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy.
Speaking to the media at the BJP state office ‘Jagannatha Bhavan’ in Bengaluru on Saturday, BJP Mahila Morcha State President C. Manjula made the announcement.
She said that preparations had been made to celebrate the prospect of political reservation for women, but that celebration has now turned into anger.
Manjula said that protests are being staged on Saturday in Mysuru, Gadag, Nelamangala, Kolar and other places, and would continue indefinitely. “This outrage will continue until Congress is removed from power,” she added.
She further said that protests have been planned for Sunday across three districts of Bengaluru city. Criticising the Congress, she alleged that there is an internal contradiction within the party on the issue of women’s reservation.
Manjula also said that the BJP would expose the “anti-women policies” of parties such as the Congress and the Trinamool Congress (TMC).
BJP State Vice President Malavika Avinash said that the implementation of the Women’s Reservation Bill, which was on the verge of becoming a reality after nearly seven decades of struggle, has been undermined by the Congress and its allies, amounting to an insult to democracy.
Speaking to media representatives at the BJP state office on Saturday, she said that the insult caused by the Congress will never be forgiven by the women of India.
“We were all prepared to secure reservation as a constitutional right. Let the Congress see in the coming days what kind of response there will be from women across the country,” she said.
She added that the success and credit for the implementation of the Women’s Reservation Bill should go to everyone, but pointed out that the Prime Minister had appealed for support to ensure its passage. However, she alleged that the Congress and its allies obstructed the Bill.
She further criticised that parties in Parliament are being run like private limited companies. She alleged that in parties such as the Samajwadi Party, DMK, and the Congress, efforts are made to ensure that women from their own families enter Parliament, while other women are prevented from getting opportunities.
She cited examples such as Priyanka Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and Indira Gandhi from the Congress, and members of Mulayam Singh Yadav’s family, as well as similar trends in the DMK.
She said that while ordinary women in India aspire to enter Parliament and state assemblies, these parties oppose such opportunities. “In Congress, tickets are given only to daughters of ministers or former ministers,” she alleged.
She concluded by saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi showed the path for the implementation of women’s reservation, but accused these parties of blocking that progress.
–IANS
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