"April 17 will be known as black day": Union Minister Annpurna Devi slams INDIA bloc

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], April 19 : Union Women and Child Development Minister Annpurna Devi on Sunday launched a sharp attack on the opposition over women's reservation, calling April 17 "a black day of the 21st century" and accusing the INDIA bloc of taking an anti-women stance.

Addressing a conference here, Devi said, "April 17 will be known as a black day of the 21st century. Now is the time to politically empower women. This (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam) was for the representation of women in state assemblies and the Lok Sabha."

She further stated, "Crores of women were looking towards the Lok Sabha with eyes full of hope. But due to the anti-women stance of the INDIA alliance, they voted against it. They have not only killed the bill but also broken the hearts of women."

Highlighting the Prime Minister's address, she said, "Narendra Modi delivered a very emotional address in the name of women. His wish was that, having already achieved economic and social empowerment, women must now be politically empowered as well."

"In line with this vision, amendments to the Nari Shakti Vandan Act were introduced in the Lok Sabha so that women could secure full participation by 2029. He made an effort towards this, but when the bill was not passed, the INDIA alliance celebrated its failure and insulted women. Women across the country are outraged by this, and they will hold them accountable," she added.

On April 17, Opposition parties in the Lok Sabha voted against the Constitution Amendment Bill.

During the three-day Special Session from April 16 to April 18, multiple leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, discussed the bill. Multiple Opposition leaders, including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, and Congress leader KC Venugopal, also participated in the discussion.

The 131st Constitution Amendment Bill to implement women's reservation failed to pass in the Lok Sabha as the INDIA bloc refused to vote in favour of the delimitation process.

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 it.

With the Constitution Amendment Bill defeated, the government later said it did not want to pursue the two other linked bills since they were interrelated.

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