Opposition insulted women and blocked reform: BJP leader Darshana Jardosh

Guwahati, April 19 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Election Co-Incharge for Assam, Darshana Jardosh, on Sunday criticised opposition parties over their stance on the proposed Women's Reservation Bill, accusing them of undermining a key reform aimed at enhancing women's political representation.

Speaking to reporters here, Jardosh said that when the Nari Shakti Vandan Amendment Bill was taken up, parties such as the Congress, Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress, and DMK opposed it in a manner she described as disrespectful.

"We strongly protest the way these (opposition) parties made fun of the bill. It is not just an insult to the legislation, but also to women across the country," she added.

Jardosh also alleged that the Opposition's approach reflected a lack of commitment towards women's empowerment, asserting that the Bill represents a significant step towards ensuring greater participation of women in legislative bodies.

The remarks come in the backdrop of the special session of Parliament convened from April 16, during which the Union government attempted to push forward the Women's Reservation Bill.

However, the session failed to pass the legislation amid strong resistance and objections raised by the Congress and several other opposition parties, leading to a political deadlock.

The proposed legislation seeks to reserve one-third of seats in the Lok Sabha and state legislative Assemblies for women, a long-pending demand that has seen multiple attempts over the years without fruition.

The Centre has said that the bill is a landmark reform aimed at correcting historical gender imbalance in political representation.

Opposition parties, however, have said that the bill requires further deliberation, particularly on provisions related to sub-quotas for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and minority women.

They have also questioned the timing and implementation framework proposed by the Union government.

Jardosh said such objections were being used as a pretext to delay the bill, adding that genuine political will was required to ensure women receive their due representation.

She reiterated that the BJP remains committed to women-led development and would continue to push for the passage of the bill, accusing opposition parties of obstructing a transformative reform for political reasons.

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