Mumbai, Sep 2: BJP leaders protested in Nashik on Wednesday against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s visit to the city, accusing his party of opposing women’s representation in Parliament and state assemblies.
The allegation prompted senior party leader and former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan to counter that the ruling party should first “ensure the entry of women to the RSS headquarters”.
Earlier in the day, Nashik Mayor Himgauri Aher-Adake, other women BJP leaders and supporters staged a protest march in the north Maharashtra city. The protesters, many of whom wore black sarees, raised “Go back” slogans against Gandhi.
The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, who has been holding ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ youth outreach programmes in parts of the country, is on a visit to Nashik on Wednesday to address the participants of its organisational revamp exercise.
“My question to Rahul Gandhi is, why does your party oppose women’s representation in the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha? Rahul Gandhi should answer this today,” Nashik BJP MLA Devayani Farande told reporters.
A Constitution Amendment Bill to implement reservation for women in legislatures in 2029 and increase the number of seats in the Lok Sabha was defeated in the Lower House in April this year. It was intended to provide 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
“If the country is to be made economically strong, we have seen large-scale empowerment of women after they received reservation in local self-government bodies. Women have become aware of their rights,” Farande said.
Women had played a prominent role in India’s history, Nashik Mayor Himgauri Aher-Adake said and criticised Gandhi for allegedly opposing the “Nari Shakti Vandan” legislation. “What has Rahul Gandhi or his party done for women’s empowerment or bringing them forward?” she asked.
The protest disrupted road traffic between CBS and Ashok Stambh for some time.
Senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan called the allegation a “sheer lie”.
“In 2023, when the BJP introduced the Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament, didn’t the Congress support it? If you want to introduce a new bill, we will support it. Congress and Rajiv Gandhi were the original introducers of the Women’s Reservation Bill. Where did your thing come from? You first give entry to women in RSS headquarters and then speak,” Chavan said.
He was interacting with the media at an MTDC resort, the venue of the Congress camp here.
Chavan also claimed that the ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ initiative has rattled the BJP.
“(RSS chief) Mohan Bhagwat is organising programmes, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arranged the working committee meeting at the same time so that Rahulji cannot be seen on television, and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is addressing youths in Nagpur today. Why are you doing it?” he asked.
Chavan claimed that the BJP didn’t remember the youth for 12 years, but is remembering them today. “Why did you panic?” Chavan asked in response to a query about the BJP’s criticism of the ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ programme.
Fadnavis had recently termed the event the “Congress Jitao Programme” (CJP).
Meanwhile, Congress leader Manikrao Thakre said the party would oppose the SIR (special intensive revision) of the voter list, particularly the deletion of around 2 crore names from the state electoral rolls. (PTI)
