Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], April 20 : Uttar Pradesh Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar accused Akhilesh Yadav of "lying" on women's reservation, stating that they opposed the 131st Constitution Amendment Bill because they thought the BJP would get credit for it.
Speaking withon the bill, Rajbhar said, "What conspiracy was there? He is lying. BJP is ready to give 33% reservation to women. They thought that the credit for this would go to the BJP. That's why they were opposing it."
Earlier, Akhilesh Yadav called Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation on women's reservation as "empty". Yadav clarified that no Opposition party stands against reservation for women legislators.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday in Rewari, the Samajwadi Party chief demanded that the SC, ST and OBC communities also be included in the equation for reservation for women.
He said, "We are all in favour of women's reservation. No opposition party is against women's reservation. During the Prime Minister's address, many in Uttar Pradesh expected the Prime Minister to name a future woman Prime Minister from the BJP, but the address itself was empty, and the hopes it had raised remained unfulfilled."
"There is no opposition to women's reservation. We believe that if you are honouring half the population, then backwards, Dalit, minority, and tribal communities should also be included," Akhilesh Yadav added.
On April 18, Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed the Opposition for blocking the Women's Reservation Bill, saying that they "crushed" their dreams despite the government's sincere efforts.
PM Modi pointed out that the defeat of this bill is a direct blow to the self-respect of women, an insult that the female electorate will permanently engrave in their memories. "Women may forget everything else, but they never forget an insult to their pride," PM Modi said in his address to the nation on Saturday.
Opposition parties in the Lok Sabha voted against the Constitution Amendment Bill on April 17. The Lok Sabha took up the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-first Amendment) Bill, the Delimitation Bill, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill together for passing. In the division that took place on the Constitution Amendment Bill following the debate on the three bills, 298 members voted in favour and 230 against.
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