Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday slammed the Opposition parties, including the Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP), Trinamool Congress (TMC) and DMK, of obstructing the passage of the women’s reservation Bill in Parliament, and reiterated his commitment to ensuring its implementation.
Addressing a women’s conference in his Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh, PM Modi said, “I have come to this programme to seek blessings from all women for the beginning of a maha yagya.”
“As the parliamentarian from Kashi, as the prime minister of the country, I need your blessings to achieve a major goal in the national interest -- implementing reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies,” he said.
The Prime Minister said recent efforts by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to advance the legislation had been unsuccessful due to opposition from parties such as the SP and the Congress.
“I once again assure all my sisters that I will leave no stone unturned to ensure that your right to reservation is implemented,” he added.
Targeting the SP, Modi alleged that it had been “difficult for daughters to come out of their houses” during its tenure in Uttar Pradesh.
He further slammed what he termed “pariwarwadi” (dynastic) parties, the Congress, SP, TMC and DMK, accusing them of having “betrayed women”.
“These pariwarwadi parties do not want daughters to reach the Assembly or the Lok Sabha. These parties have put brakes on women's reservation for the last 40 years,” he said.
(With inputs from PTI)