New Delhi [India], April 18 : Former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday said that Biju Janata Dal has always stood for women's empowerment and slammed the BJP-led government for having linked the bill to tweak women's quota with delimitation, saying BJD is firmly against any reduction in "political power" of Odisha.
His remarks came a day after the Constitutional Amendment Bill on women's quota, which was linked to delimitation on the basis of 2011 census, failed in the Lok Sabha.
Patnaik accused the BJP of "compromising" Odisha's rights.
"BJD has always stood for women's empowerment, from the Panchayat level up to Parliament. We are completely against reducing the political power of Odisha through delimitation. The people of Odisha have witnessed as to who has fought for their rights and how the BJP compromised Odisha's rights," he said.
The BJD leader said that people "are indeed shocked that not a single BJP MP from Odisha raised voice against this injustice".
"By supporting the reduction of political power for Odisha, the BJP stands exposed before the people of Odisha. BJD will always continue to fight for the rights of Odisha," he said.
Opposition parties in Lok Sabha voted against the Constitution Amendment Bill on Friday.
The Lok Sabha took up Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-first Amendment) Bill, Delimitation Bill, and 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.
With Constitution Amendment Bill defeated, the government later said it did not want to pursue the two other linked bills.
Biju Janata Dal MP Sasmit Patra had on April 16 reiterated his party's support for the Women's Reservation Bill, while expressing concerns over linking it to the Delimitation Bill.
Patra said the BJD chief had written a letter to Odisha MPs, recalling how he and Biju Patnaik championed women's reservation in Panchayati Raj institutions in the state.
"He raised concerns about the delimitation bill being linked with the Women's Reservation Bill. The BJD has always supported the Women's Reservation Bill, including in 2023, but warned that the current constitutional amendment, tied to delimitation, is worrying," Patra had told ANI.
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