Under the leadership and vision of Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, the Goa BJP has intensified its push for women’s empowerment. Acting on his call, the BJP Mahila Morcha organised a “Jan Aakrosh Mahila Padyatra” in Panaji on Tuesday, protesting the continued opposition by the INDIA bloc to the landmark Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (Women’s Reservation Bill).
Standing firmly with the women of the state, Sawant led from the front and launched a sharp attack on the opposition alliance, which includes the Congress, AAP, TMC, SP and the Uddhav Thackeray faction. He accused them of pursuing an agenda that is both “anti-national” and “anti-women.”
Addressing a large gathering of protesters, Sawant hit back strongly at the opposition and positioned himself as a defender of democratic rights.
“I see the full strength of Goa’s women on the streets today. The INDIA bloc — Congress, SP, DMK, TMC — opposed the Nari Shakti Vandan Act in the Lok Sabha. I strongly condemn them because they have deprived women of rightful representation from panchayats to Parliament. I congratulate the women gathered here for fighting for their rights,” he said.
Moving beyond criticism, the Chief Minister made a concrete political commitment. He assured that under his leadership, women MLAs would be given proper representation in the Goa cabinet, ensuring that the 33% reservation translates into real women-led governance.
Echoing his remarks, BJP leaders at the rally targeted the INDIA bloc, calling it a “group of opportunists” and a “sinking ship.” They argued that opposition parties see the political rise of women not as progress, but as a threat to their entrenched power structures.
With an eye on the 2027 Goa Assembly elections, a strong political message was delivered: women in Goa will back the Bharatiya Janata Party to secure reservation and uproot the Congress.
Inspired by the Chief Minister’s vision and led by BJP Mahila Morcha state president Sulakshana Sawant, hundreds of women marched toward the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee office. Slogans like “Insult to women’s power will not be tolerated” and “Down with Congress” echoed through the streets.
Protesters carried placards highlighting what they called the opposition’s betrayal:
* “Congress’s old disease: betrayal of half the population”
* “Questioning women’s rights is Congress’s old tactic”
* “Congress is responsible for attacking women’s rights”
The rally and press interaction saw the presence of senior BJP leaders backing the Chief Minister’s stance, including Goa BJP president Damodar Naik, Mahila Morcha leader Suvarna Tendulkar, MLAs Delilah Lobo and Dr. Divya Rane, and senior leader Vidya Satarkar.
Under Sawant’s leadership, the Goa BJP reiterated its alignment with the central government, stressing that women’s empowerment will remain central to India’s development journey.