BJP's Dilip Ghosh slams Opposition, says "Women's Reservation Bill exposed true face of many parties"

Kharagpur (West Bengal) [India], April 19 : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dilip Ghosh on Sunday criticised the Opposition following the Women's Reservation Bill failing to pass in the Lok Sabha, asserting that the bill has "exposed the true face of many parties" who used to talk about women's empowerment.

BJP candidate from West Bengal's Kharagpur Sadar Assembly constituency Ghosh claimed that the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill was a "very necessary step" to bring women forward.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the forthcoming West Bengal Assembly election, the Kharagpur Sadar Assembly constituency candidate said, "The Women's Reservation Bill has exposed the true face of many parties, who used to talk about women's empowerment and women's welfare. They (the opposition) did not support this bill, which revealed that they merely do politics in the name of women and nothing else."

He further added that the Congress party did not support the bill, which revealed that they merely do politics in the name of women.

He said, "Prime Minister Modi has taken many steps for women's empowerment. This too was a very necessary step to bring women forward, but it did not receive the opposition's support."

His remarks come after 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.

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

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.

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

The bills aimed to increase the strength of the Lok Sabha from 543 to 816, with 33 per cent reservation for women. The delimitation was to be carried out based on the 2011 census. The government said there will be a proportionate increase in seats for all states.

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