Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Sunday slammed the Congress and its allies for the defeat of the women's quota bill in the Lok Sabha. Speaking to reporters in Rohtak, Saini said the real face of Congress, TMC, Samajwadi Party and other opposition parties has been unmasked before the people of the country. He accused them of not letting women get their rights and being against their empowerment.
He said that it was a historic opportunity to give women their rights, but Congress and their INDI Alliance used this opportunity for their narrow politics. Opposition's anti-women face has come to the fore, he said.
"In the name of the delimitation, opposition has tried to spread lies and confusion," he added.
Saini said that it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to empower women, and his government has taken several historic steps towards women's empowerment over the past 12 years.
"I want to ask Congress and Rahul Gandhi that the party which ruled the country for 55 years should tell what steps they took for the empowerment of women?" Saini asked.
"The true face of the opposition is now visible to every woman in the country. They are driven solely by power politics and have no real concern for women's rights," he added.
Saini said Congress and its allies have not only opposed the bill, but also hurt the self-respect of women, which the country's women will never forgive.
In the coming days, women will make them realise what they have done, he said.
A Constitution Amendment Bill to implement 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures in 2029 and increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816 was defeated on Friday, with the ruling dispensation asserting that the struggle to give the rights to women will continue. While 298 members voted in support of the bill in the Lok Sabha, 230 MPs voted against it. Out of 528 members who voted, the bill required 352 votes for a two-thirds majority.
According to the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, Lok Sabha seats were to be increased to 816 from the current 543 to "operationalise" the women's reservation law before the 2029 parliamentary polls, following a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census. Seats were also to be increased in state and Union territory assemblies to accommodate 33 per cent reservation for women.
Also read: Committed to ideals of Ambedkar: Haryana CM
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