Mumbai, April 21 (IANS) Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday issued a stern warning to the leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) during the “Jan Aakrosh March”.

He stated that those who opposed the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (Women’s Reservation Bill) in Parliament and “strangled” the rights of women will find no peace in the coming days.​

He asserted that the struggle will continue until women secure a 33 per cent reservation in both Parliament and Legislative Assemblies.

A march was organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party-Mahayuti alliance from Worli’s Jambori Maidan to the NSCI Dome to protest against those who opposed the Women’s Reservation Bill.​

Addressing the concluding rally, the Chief Minister called for widespread public awareness regarding women’s rights and announced a campaign to collect one crore signatures from women across the state.

He said that if they remained silent after just one march, future generations would not forgive them.​

“Show these ‘half-wise’ people that the voice of women cannot be suppressed. Ignite a fire in the heart of every woman. Collect one crore signatures and throw them in the faces of Rahul Gandhi and his associates,” he declared.​

Reflecting on the history of the bill, CM Fadnavis noted that efforts for women’s reservation began in 1996, but the Congress party ignored the issue for years. Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee introduced the bill three times, but it failed due to a lack of majority, he said.

He criticised the United Progressive Alliance government, alleging that despite having a majority, the Congress did not take concrete steps to pass the bill.​

The Chief Minister highlighted that under PM Modi’s leadership, the Constitutional Amendment was passed in 2023, clearing the path for 33 per cent reservation.

However, the opposition is now raising objections because the implementation is linked to the census and delimitation. He accused the opposition of backtracking for political gain.​

He reassured that delimitation would not reduce any state’s representation; instead, seats would increase across all states, benefiting both rural and urban Maharashtra.​

“Currently, there are only 73 women Members of Parliament. If the bill were fully implemented, this number would rise to 274, providing massive opportunities for women from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and other marginalised communities,” he noted.​

In a targeted sidebar, CM Fadnavis brought up historical precedents. He said that Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar tried to empower women through the Hindu Code Bill and that it was Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru who opposed it at the time, which ultimately led to Babasaheb’s resignation.​

“Today, Rahul Gandhi is merely continuing that legacy of opposing women’s progress,” he remarked.​

–IANS

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