Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s opposition BJD Friday alleged that the BJP is the lone political party in the country that feels uncomfortable implementing reservation for women in the legislature without raising the number of seats in Lok Sabha and state Assemblies.
The BJD’s statement came a day after the Odisha Assembly passed a substantive motion for early implementation of the Women Reservation Act, also known as the Nari Shakti Vandan Act, after a marathon debate over the ‘women’s participation in Indian democracy’ in a special session of the Assembly.
The special session in the BJP-ruled state was convened days after 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 in the Lower House of Parliament.
The BJD, led by former chief minister Naveen Patnaik, also announced that a “Nari Adhikar Abhiyan” (Women’s Rights Campaign) will be held from May 10 to May 25 across every constituency in the state.
Addressing a press conference here, Opposition Chief Whip Pramila Mallik and other women leaders of the BJD asked what prevented the NDA from implementing the Women’s Reservation Act, which was passed by Parliament in 2023.
“Why is the BJP reluctant to implement the Women Reservation Act, 2023? While all the political parties across the country are in favour of implementing the Act with the existing number of seats in the Lok Sabha and Assemblies, only the BJP is opposed to it,” Mallik said.
This reflects the male-chauvinist and anti-women mindset of the saffron party, she claimed.
Mallik said that the entire country witnessed how the BJP convened a special session of Parliament and attempted to pass the Women’s Reservation Bill by linking it with the Delimitation Bill.
“After facing setbacks, the BJP is now trying to convene special sessions in state Assemblies to level false allegations against opposition parties,” she said.
It has been exposed to the public that the BJP is trying to delay the implementation of the already passed Women’s Reservation Act, the BJD leader claimed.
“We had supported the Bill in 2023; we demand implementation of the Women’s Reservation Act, 2023, with the existing number of seats, she said.
“Under the pretext of delimitation, the BJP is trying to push the Women’s Reservation Bill into uncertainty. BJP is organising rallies to portray itself as pro-women and label opposition parties as anti-women. However, women in the country are not naive; they clearly understand the reality,” Mallik said.
The BJD will organise the Nari Adhikar Abhiyan from May 10 to May 25, Mallik, a seven-time MLA, said.
BJD Mahila wing president Snehangini Chhuria stated that the BJP is spreading propaganda that opposition parties are anti-women.
“Lying repeatedly and loudly has been a long-standing habit of the BJP,” Chhuria said.
She said that in 2018, when the BJD was in power, the Odisha Legislative Assembly passed a resolution seeking 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies.
A BJD delegation also met leaders of 22 political parties across the country to build consensus on this issue, she said.
Additionally, during Naveen Patnaik’s tenure, around 80 lakh women in the state were empowered through Mission Shakti. Hence, calling BJD anti-women is absurd, Chhuria said.
While participating in the debate in the Assembly Thursday, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi targeted the opposition Congress and BJD and held them responsible for the defeat of the Constitution (Amendment) Bill in Parliament last month.
He called both parties “anti-women” and noted that making provision of 33 per cent reservation in local bodies for women by the BJD is not enough to empower them.
