Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi criticized opposition parties, mainly the Congress, for obstructing the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, which aimed to introduce one-third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and legislative assemblies. He expressed disappointment during a press conference, calling April 17 a dark day in Indian democratic history when the opposition thwarted the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.
Majhi condemned the opposition’s actions as a display of arrogance and shortsightedness rather than a setback for women in the country. He emphasized that the women of India would respond resolutely to this betrayal through their votes, highlighting the opposition’s lack of genuine commitment to women’s empowerment beyond mere rhetoric.
The Chief Minister drew parallels between the opposition’s jubilation over the defeat of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam and the Congress Party’s celebrations during the Emergency in 1975. He accused the opposition, including Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, of opposing the bill despite being women themselves, questioning their commitment to women’s rights.
BJP leader and MP Bansuri Swaraj, speaking at the press conference, criticized the opposition for hindering the early implementation of women’s reservation, emphasizing the importance of reflecting this in upcoming elections. Swaraj also targeted the Trinamool Congress for not supporting the measure, despite having a female Chief Minister in Mamata Banerjee. She highlighted the necessity of delimitation for implementing women’s reservation effectively, proposing an increase in seats based on the 2011 Census to maintain proportional representation and address population dynamics.
