Kolkata, April 15 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Anurag Thakur on Wednesday criticised Opposition parties for not supporting the Women’s Reservation Bill, alleging that those with an “anti-women ideology” are opposing the legislation.

His remarks come a day before Parliament is set to reconvene for a three-day extended Budget session, during which amendments to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, and a proposed delimitation Bill are expected to be discussed to facilitate one-third reservation for women in Parliament.

Speaking to IANS, Thakur said: “Those people who are anti-women are doing this work. It was decided in 1971 who will get how many seats. South Indian states are getting more seats than that.

“Women are even getting 33 per cent reservation. So the parties that have anti-women ideology are opposing this today, whether it is (Congress MP) Sonia Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, DMK or any other party,” he said.

He accused the Congress-led UPA government of being unable to pass the Bill during its tenure.

“Even when they were part of the UPA government, they did not allow the Women’s Reservation Bill during their 10-year tenure, but we have passed the Bill,” he said.

Further, Thakur said, “We give women their rights and work towards women’s empowerment.”

Meanwhile, the BJP MP also spoke to reporters about the Trinamool Congress’s rule and the BJP’s prospects in next week’s West Bengal Assembly polls.

He said, “The people have shut down Mamata Banerjee’s voice. The defeat is written on the wall for the Trinamool Congress. On May 4, the Trinamool Congress will go. That is why Mamata Banerjee is baffled. She is not able to talk about any achievement of her 15-year rule in the state.”

Accusing the Trinamool Congress supremo of being involved in corruption, he said, “Mamata Banerjee is a corrupt Chief Minister who reached the site of an ED raid to protect her leaders.”

Moreover, Thakur said that after the BJP comes to power in the state: “West Bengal will be free of corruption, commission and illegal infiltration. When the state gets rid of the Trinamool Congress, it will, by itself, be free of all evils.”

–IANS

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