New Delhi, April 19: Reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address following the defeat of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary strongly backed the Centre’s push for women’s reservation, criticising the Opposition for blocking it in Parliament.
The Deputy CM said the Prime Minister’s stand was correct and reiterated that the NDA remains committed to ensuring 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures. He also highlighted Bihar’s past initiatives on women’s empowerment under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, while targeting the Opposition for defeating the bill in the Lok Sabha.
Chaudhary said, “The Prime Minister has spoken correctly. The Prime Minister and, under his leadership, all NDA parties, including our party, support women’s reservation. Bihar has always been progressive under Nitish Kumar’s guidance… for women, he brought reservations. And today, if the PM is bringing 33 per cent reservation of women in Parliament, why is the opposition opposing? The message did not go well after they defeated the bill in the Lok Sabha. Women of the country will stop them from entering Parliament the way they stopped women’s participation in Parliament.”
In Uttar Pradesh, Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar also responded to the controversy, stressing that the intent behind the legislation was rooted in social justice. He said, “The Prime Minister intended that women should receive reservation in the Constitution, as envisioned by Babasaheb Dr B.R. Ambedkar, ensuring equal participation for half of the population. However, Congress, Samajwadi Party, and leaders of other parties kept the Women’s Reservation Bill pending for 40 years, effectively delaying it without approval.”
The reactions came after the government failed to secure passage of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Act and the Delimitation Bill, which proposed 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.
Addressing the nation on Saturday, Prime Minister Modi launched a sharp attack on Opposition parties, accusing them of “committing a foeticide of the idea of women’s representation before the whole world”. He said political parties prioritising their organisation over national interest had harmed women’s empowerment.
The Prime Minister further said it was painful that parties such as Congress, DMK, Samajwadi Party (SP) and Trinamool Congress (TMC) celebrated after the bill’s defeat, calling it a setback to women’s dignity and representation.
–IANS
