New Delhi, May 2 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister, Keshav Prasad Maurya, on Saturday said a “torch rally” is being witnessed across the country, reflecting women’s anger over key political developments.

“Today, a mashal rally will be seen, where women, representing half the population, are expressing their anger in different ways across the country. In Lucknow, the state capital as well, thousands of women are participating in large numbers…” Maurya said.

Supporting the sentiment, Deputy Chief Minister, Brajesh Pathak, said the government stands firmly with women’s concerns over the issue.

“We strongly support the anger of women regarding the continuous obstruction of the Mahila Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam by the Congress and Samajwadi Party…” Pathak claimed.

The remarks come amid a political row over the Women’s Reservation Bill, which has been a major point of contention between the ruling BJP and Opposition parties, who are against the Bill being linked to delimitation and have asked for it to be implemented in the form it was passed in September 2023.

Earlier on Thursday, women BJP MLAs staged a protest inside the Vidhan Bhawan complex ahead of a one-day special session of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly. They criticised Opposition parties for allegedly blocking the passage of the Bill linked to the implementation of the Women’s Reservation Law in the Lok Sabha.

The protest followed growing political tensions over the issue, with the ruling party accusing the Opposition of denying greater political representation to women.

In response, Samajwadi Party MLAs held a separate demonstration, alleging that the BJP was misleading the public in the name of women’s reservation for political gain.

The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, intended to implement one-third women’s reservation in the Lok Sabha and the legislative Assembly, failed to get the nod in the Lower House. The Bill fell short of the two-third majority of 352, out of the total 528 members present in the Lok Sabha. During voting on the Bill, 298 MPs voted in favour of it and 230 against the Bill.

–IANS

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