In Bhubaneswar, Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi turned up the heat on opposition parties during a packed press meet, declaring April 17 a dark chapter for democracy. The bone of contention: the stalled Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill for women’s reservation in legislative bodies.
‘Congress and allies crushed the aspirations of crores of women, treating the bill’s failure like a victory party,’ Majhi thundered. He likened their glee to the dark days of the 1975 Emergency, exposing what he called their hypocritical approach to female empowerment.
This isn’t just politics; it’s personal for Majhi, who sees the opposition’s move as a blatant betrayal. ‘Women won’t forget this. Their votes will speak louder than opposition cheers,’ he predicted.
BJP leader Bansuri Swaraj joined the fray, slamming Sonia and Priyanka Gandhi for opposing the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam despite being women leaders. She roasted TMC’s Mamata Banerjee for not backing the bill when it mattered most.
Addressing delimitation fears, Swaraj outlined the proactive steps: using 2011 census data, boosting seat numbers to safeguard representation, especially for population-conscious southern states. Without delimitation, she stressed, women’s quota can’t take effect.
Majhi’s narrative paints a picture of consistent opposition duplicity—preaching empowerment in speeches but sabotaging real change. As India gears up for polls, this episode could galvanize women voters, tilting the scales in favor of those who walk the talk on gender justice.
