Shimla, April 23 (IANS) The Jan Aakrosh Mahila Padyatra organised by the BJP Mahila Morcha here witnessed an overwhelming turnout, transforming into a show of strength by women from across the state.

The rally emerged not merely as a political event but as a decisive assertion of women’s rights, dignity, and participation in governance.

The event was presided over by Mahila Morcha state President Daisy Thakur amid the presence of state party President Rajeev Bindal, state incharge Shrikant Sharma, Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur and co-in charge Sanjay Tandon.

Addressing the gathering, Payal Vaidya launched a sharp attack on the Congress, stating that the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam was a historic step aimed at ensuring 33 per cent reservation for women from panchayats to the Parliament.

She said Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened a special session of the Parliament to institutionalise women’s participation in decision-making, but the Congress and its allies sabotaged this opportunity for political reasons.

Questioning Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi’s slogan, she claimed that when the real battle for women’s rights arose, the Congress chose to retreat, exposing its hypocrisy.

Daisy Thakur termed the fall of the Bill as a “black day in democratic history”.

She accused the Congress of consistently treating women as mere vote banks and denying them real empowerment.

“This is not just a political issue but an attack on the dignity of millions of women, and the response is now visible on the streets,” she said.

State Vice President Rashmi Dhar Sood said the Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the Trinamool Congress collectively undermined women’s aspirations.

She emphasised that those claiming to champion equality had, in reality, denied women their rightful place in governance. “This is not politics alone, it is a question of social justice,” she added.

MLA Reena Kashyap accused the state government of misusing administrative machinery to obstruct the rally. She alleged that buses carrying women, particularly from Solan and nearby regions, were deliberately stopped, delayed, and diverted.

“This was a calculated attempt to suppress women’s voices, but the massive turnout proves that such tactics have failed,” she said.

State President Bindal said by blocking the Women’s Reservation Bill the Congress had “betrayed 700 million women of the country.” He highlighted that under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, women have been empowered economically, socially, and educationally over the past decade, and the next logical step was their increased participation in governance.

–IANS

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