New Delhi, April 17 (IANS) Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva on Friday said that Opposition parties stand exposed for their anti-women stance, as reflected in their decision to vote against the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill in Parliament.

He alleged that some parties, including the Congress, RJD and Samajwadi Party, were opposed to providing 33 per cent reservation for women along with an increase in parliamentary seats.

Sachdeva said the Congress must explain why, between 1971 and 2009, it did not consider it necessary to increase the number of Parliament seats while carrying out delimitation of constituencies.

“We were always clear that we need Opposition support for this pious cause, which they have refused, and now they stand exposed before more than 70 crore women of India,” he said.

Earlier, during the discussion on the Bill in the Lok Sabha, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, “The women of the country will never forgive Congress and Rahul Gandhi for throwing the bone of opposition into the yagna of granting reservation to women.”

He also criticised INDIA bloc leaders for raising the issue of Muslim reservation, alleging it was driven by appeasement.

“The Indian Constitution does not accept reservation based on religion. There are two reasons for this: first, the eligibility for reservation should not be such that it can be obtained through religious conversion; second, reservation is meant for those who are socially and educationally backward or belong to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes,” he said.

The Home Minister also criticised Opposition parties for attempting to create a North-South divide in opposing the proposed delimitation.

“The southern states have as much right over this House as the northern states do. Even the small Lakshadweep has as much right as Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Bihar. This country must not be fragmented through the narrative of North versus South,” he said.

–IANS

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