New Delhi, April 16 Former Union Minister and veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Smriti Irani on Thursday launched a sharp counteroffensive to Samajwadi Party (SP) Chief Akhilesh Yadav's remarks during the ongoing special session of the Parliament, where the Women's Reservation Act and the Delimitation Bill are being debated.
Akhilesh Yadav, while supporting the principle of one-third reservation for women, took a swipe at the BJP's internal dynamics.
He remarked that reserving seats would only intensify competition among women, quipping that the "mother-in-law versus daughter-in-law" saga had not exactly succeeded -- a pointed reference widely interpreted as aimed at Smriti Irani.
BJP leader Smriti Irani lost the 2024 Lok Sabha election in Uttar Pradesh's Amethi constituency to Congress candidate Kishori Lal Sharma.
Irani took the matter to social media platform X and countered sharply the SP Chief's jibe at her, saying: "I heard that today Akhilesh ji remembered me in Parliament. That's good -- those who got politics as an inheritance also remember those who punch holes in the sky on their own steam. They pass comments on working women, those who have never done a job in their life. Shift your focus from serials to Parliament. Get that crucial bill passed for women's empowerment."
The former Union Minister's remarks underscored the BJP's narrative of self-made leadership while questioning Akhilesh Yadav's political legacy.
The SP Chief, however, pressed on with his critique of the ruling party's approach.
He accused the BJP of resisting sub-quotas for OBC women within the 33 per cent reservation and of manipulating the delimitation process for political gain.
He demanded a fresh census before any redrawing of constituency boundaries, saying that without updated demographic data, fair representation would be compromised.
Invoking socialist thinker Ram Manohar Lohia, Akhilesh Yadav accused the BJP of reducing women to slogans while failing to elevate them within its own organisational ranks.
He also highlighted the negligible number of women Chief Ministers despite the BJP's dominance across 21 states.
The Opposition, led by the SP, has rallied around the demand for specific sub-quotas for OBC and minority women, framing it as essential for genuine social justice.
Meanwhile, the Union government continues to push for passage of the landmark bill, which promises to reserve one-third of seats in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies for women.
Yet, the twin issues of delimitation and census remain flashpoints, with the Opposition warning that rushing ahead without accurate population data would erode the spirit of equitable representation.
As the special Parliament session unfolds, the debate has become as much about political inheritance and gender justice as it is about legislative reform, ensuring that the path to women's empowerment remains fiercely contested.
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