Chennai, April 17 (IANS) A.N.S. Prasad, spokesperson of the Tamil Nadu BJP, on Thursday launched a scathing attack on Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over his speech in Parliament on the women’s reservation legislation, accusing him of disrespecting women and undermining democratic values.

In a strongly worded statement, Prasad alleged that Gandhi’s remarks were “deeply disrespectful to women” and had lowered the dignity of Parliament. He described the speech as “condemnable” and said it had crossed the limits of parliamentary decorum.

Targeting the Opposition bloc, including the Congress and the DMK, Prasad claimed that they were attempting to block the implementation of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, which seeks to provide 33 per cent reservation for women in legislative bodies.

He alleged that their resistance to both the Bill and the delimitation process was driven by narrow political interests aimed at preventing greater political participation of women.

Prasad also criticised Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, accusing the DMK of hypocrisy on women’s empowerment. Referring to protests against the legislation, he alleged that the party’s actions contradicted its public stance on gender equality.

Highlighting the Centre’s position, Prasad said the legislation, backed by PM Modi and Home Minister Shah, represents a transformative step towards inclusive governance and women-led development.

He further noted that assurances had been given in Parliament that southern states, including Tamil Nadu, would not face any reduction in representation due to delimitation.

According to Prasad, the state could instead see an increase in Lok Sabha seats, strengthening its voice at the national level.

Asserting that women voters would play a decisive role, Prasad said any opposition to the Bill would be rejected by the public.

He added that the ongoing debate reflects a broader political contest over the future of women’s representation and electoral reforms in India.

The remarks come amid an intensifying national debate over the women’s reservation Bill and delimitation, with the ruling NDA and Opposition INDIA bloc continuing to exchange sharp political accusations.

–IANS

aal/pgh