Bhubaneswar, April 19 (IANS) Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday targeted opposition parties led by the Congress for blocking the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, intended to implement one-third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and legislative assemblies, saying that the women of the country will give a befitting reply during voting.

Speaking during a press conference here, Majhi also called April 17 a black day in Indian democratic history as the opposition blocked the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.

“April 17 was a black day in the history of Indian democracy, as on the very day, the opposition parties led by Congress shattered the dreams of crores of women of the country and defeated the 131st constitutional amendment bill. They also celebrated this defeat as a festival with smiles,” said CM Majhi.

He stated that this is not a defeat for the women of the country but a sign of the sheer arrogance and improvidence of the opposition parties. The Chief Minister noted that India’s women’s power will give a befitting reply to this betrayal by the opposition parties during voting.

Majhi equated the opposition’s celebration following the defeat of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam with the jubilation of the Congress Party during the imposition of the Emergency on June 25, 1975.

The Chief Minister also alleged that an examination of past history shows that the opposition parties’ talk of women’s empowerment has largely been limited to slogans and, at times, even appears more like a fashion; when it comes to granting women real respect and genuine rights, they say one thing publicly but act differently in reality.

Targeting Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, CM Majhi alleged that despite being women, they opposed the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.

Addressing the media during the presser, BJP leader and MP Bansuri Swaraj stated that the Prime Minister intended early implementation so that women’s reservation could reflect in upcoming elections, but the opposition blocked the process and betrayed the nation’s women.

Targeting the Trinamool Congress, the BJP MP said, “Despite having a woman Chief Minister in Mamata Banerjee, the party did not support the measure when it mattered.”

Speaking on allegations regarding the delimitation bill, Swaraj said the government had proposed using the 2011 Census to avoid delays and suggested increasing seats by up to 50 per cent to ensure that no state loses its proportional representation.

She added that this approach would safeguard the interests of southern states that have controlled population growth. She also emphasised that women’s reservation cannot be implemented without delimitation, as constituencies need to be identified based on current population realities.

–IANS

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