Kolkata, April 19 (IANS) Several women who gathered to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public meeting in Medinipur district ahead of the two-phased Assembly polls, stood strongly behind the charge that the opposition parties committed “foeticide” by not voting in favour of Women reservation bill in the Parliament, thereby leading to its defeat.

PM Modi, in his address to the nation a day before, expressed deep disappointment over the Opposition’s response, accusing the Congress, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, and DMK of “brutally killing” this effort both inside the House and before the nation.

Speaking to IANS, a woman at the rally said, “The 33 per cent reservation for women did not receive the votes of Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress and other opposition parties. I felt very sad that the Bill could not be passed.”

Rallying behind Prime Minister’s criticism of INDIA bloc, she said, “Whatever he said yesterday is absolutely correct. The failure of the Bill is equal to foeticide. Firstly, no one gave a thought about women, PM Modi thought about us, but they (Opposition) did not allow the Bill to pass. It is very unfortunate.”

She accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of not doing enough for women.

“Every party makes promises about women, Mamata Banerjee had also said. But when the time came to do something, Didi (Trinamool MPs) did not vote in favour (of the Bill). She has now been exposed. Her words don’t match her actions,” she said

Another woman said, “Why did the opposition parties obstruct the passage of the Bill? They should have instead stood by women. PM Modi wants women to move ahead but the opposition parties do not want that.”

A woman, whose son has been missing for several days, accused the state police of not making any effort to trace him. She alleged whether it is men or women, “no one is safe in the state.”

Moreover, she called Congress and the Trinamool “anti-women” party.

“The opposition parties including the Congress and Trinamool don’t think about women’s safety. Mamata Didi tells women not to go out after 6pm. But we women have to go out for work. Crimes against women keep on happening here, just like the RG Kar case,” she added.

–IANS

cg/mr