Shillong: All India Congress Committee (AICC) spokesperson Onika Mehrotra on Friday said the Women’s Reservation Bill is a false promise (jumla) passed by the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), especially since the 2024 elections are just around the corner.
Recalling that this initiative originated from the Congress party and was Rajiv Gandhi’s dream in 1989 to provide reservations for women, Mehrotra pointed out that while the nomenclature has changed, nothing substantial has been accomplished.
During a press conference held at the Congress Bhawan in Shillong, the AICC spokesperson questioned where the BJP had been during the last nine and a half years.
“A lot of glorification has been done on the Women’s Reservation Bill. We’re obviously very happy that women are going to get the reservation, but the ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ in the bill—the clauses they have included—are two very dangerous clauses that cannot be fulfilled in the upcoming 2024 elections. It includes the clause of delimitation and the part concerning the census. Until these two issues are resolved, women cannot gain the power to contest. Thus, the whole idea behind this is defeated. You have come after nine and a half years. May I ask why? Why were you not interested in clearing it in the first shot?” said Mehrotra.
Mehrotra asserted that this is merely a superficial effort, and that the BJP is skilled at making false promises, especially when elections are approaching. However, women have come to realise that these promises are often empty words, and the AICC spokesperson added that the BJP should implement the Bill immediately.
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“The BJP thinks that even today they can fool the people of the country. However, they fail to understand that by giving a Rs 200 discount on gas cylinders, they believe they have done charity for women? No, they have not. It was not well-received by women once again. They knew very well that if they do not come up with anything concrete for women, they will lose the women voters. Whether it’s unemployment, price rises, or crimes against women, everything is just haywire. So, I believe everybody is so sick of the BJP,” stated Mehrotra.
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