STATE TIMES NEWS
KOLKATA: Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh said here on Friday that BJP was the first to introduce political reservation for women even though the demand for this had been pending for several decades and discussion on the subject was held from time to time.
Addressing a mammoth public rally in support of the BJP candidate from Hooghly Lok Sabha constituency Locket Chatterjee, Dr. Jitendra said, it is the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi alone, which has the sincerity and conviction about empowerment of women in every field including in politics.
He said, some day the historians and analysts may like to evaluate as to why it had to take seven decades before Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought in “Nari Shakti Vandhan Adhiniyam” legislation in Parliament for 1/3rd reservation for women in Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.
There is evidence to state, said Dr. Jitendra that whenever the issue of political reservation for women came up, each time it was vehemently opposed by all the non-BJP Parties particularly those which were being run through dynasties.
He said, whether it was the Congress Party or the TMC or the Samajwadi Party or Lalu Prasad’s RJD, they always created hurdles because they knew any such move would come in the way of their designs of promoting the members of their family including the female members of their family. As a result, he said, while the common woman of this country was deprived by these Parties of the opportunity to become MP or MLA, they had no hesitation in pushing forward the women members of the ruling dynasties to become MPs and MLAs, and thus carry forward the dynasty rule from generation to generation.
In West Bengal also, said Dr. Jitendra Singh, even though the Chief Minister happens to be a woman, the TMC government run by her had prevented the full implementation of the series of women-centric schemes rolled out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. For youth also, Dr Jitendra alleged, TMC govt has discouraged new industry in W. Bengal, thus depriving new employment opportunities.