Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 21 Apr: The BJP today launched a sharp counterattack on the Congress over the ongoing political debate surrounding the Women’s Reservation issue, accusing it of attempting to conceal its ‘wrongdoing’ in Parliament and mislead the public. In a statement issued today, state BJP president and Rajya Sabha MP Mahendra Bhatt alleged that the Congress was resorting to political theatrics after having opposed women’s rights in the House.
Reacting strongly to recent statements and protests by Congress leaders and the allegations levelled against BJP and the Centre by Congress leader Supriya Shrinate in Dehradun, today, Bhatt said that those now staging demonstrations outside the Assembly had already been exposed in Parliament for their stance on women’s rights. He claimed that the Opposition, under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, not only opposed the Women’s Reservation legislation but also celebrated its outcome, which, he said, had angered the people. According to him, Congress leaders from Delhi and Dehradun are now attempting to create confusion and divert attention from their earlier position.
Responding to the Congress’ demand for women’s reservation at the state level made by Ganesh Godiyal today, Bhatt remarked that instead of protesting outside the Assembly, party leaders should have convinced their own high command. He maintained that the Nari Shakti Vandan Act was introduced during a special session of Parliament with provisions for implementation linked to a defined timeline, and alleged that it was the Opposition which obstructed its passage. Bhatt questioned the rationale behind seeking a separate reservation mechanism in Uttarakhand, terming it unconstitutional and suggesting that such demands either reflected a lack of understanding of constitutional processes or an attempt to mislead the people of the state.
Bhatt further accused the Congress of now raising what he described as an unconstitutional demand for sub-quotas within the women’s reservation framework. He pointed out that no such provision existed in the earlier proposal brought during the tenure of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He added that earlier there had been broad agreement, including within the Opposition, on implementing the law after the completion of Census and delimitation, processes which he said could not be completed before 2029 due to the inclusion of caste enumeration.
Referring to Shrinate’s press conference in Dehradun today, Bhatt said that statements being made by leaders sent from Delhi are contrary to what the country had witnessed during parliamentary proceedings. He alleged that the Congress is attempting to conceal its ‘anti-women intent’ by spreading misinformation about the law and the debate in Parliament. He also expressed disappointment that women MPs from the Opposition also did not support the legislation, but chose to prioritise the party interests over what he described as a crucial step towards women’s empowerment.
Bhatt asserted that both the people of the country and the state, particularly women, are angered by what he termed the Congress’ conduct, and that the party was now trying to cover up its actions through false narratives. He further criticised the Congress for its historical record, stating that despite being in power for over six decades, it had failed to bring forward meaningful measures on women’s reservation. He claimed that the BJP had supported the women’s bill even while in Opposition during the previous government, but alleged that internal contradictions within the Congress and its allies had stalled its progress.
He also dismissed recent remarks by Congress national spokesperson Supriya Shrinate on crimes against women as baseless, asserting that strict and prompt action was being taken in such cases under the present dispensation. In contrast, he alleged that incidents often went unregistered during Congress rule. He further claimed that even women leaders within the Congress had raised concerns about their treatment within the party.
