UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday said that if the Samajwadi Party and the Congress have the moral courage, they should take part in discussions during the special session of the state assembly and apologise for not backing a bill in the Lok Sabha that would have enabled the implementation of the Women’s Reservation Law.
Speaking to reporters before the one-day special assembly session, the UP CM said that a detailed discussion would be held on various issues, including the Narendra Modi government's introduction of the Constitution Amendment Bill for implementation of the Women's Reservation Law in the Lok Sabha, and the resistance meted out to it by opposition parties such as the Samajwadi Party and the Congress.
"I appeal to all members of the legislature party to participate in this discussion. If the Samajwadi Party and the Congress have moral courage, they should take part in the discussion and clarify why they did not support the Constitution Amendment Bill."
Adityanath said, "If members of the Samajwadi Party and the Congress feel that their leaders were wrong, it is their responsibility to apologise, or support the condemnation motion that will be introduced in the special assembly session today."
Accusing the Samajwadi Party of being a "habitually anti-women party that changes colours like a chameleon," he claimed that during its rule, there was a common saying that "daughters shudder when they see a Samajwadi Party member."
"The country was aware of the anti-women conduct of the Samajwadi Party and the Congress, but they had an opportunity to remove this blot from their image by supporting the amendment to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam. But they have missed that opportunity," the chief minister said.
He further alleged that the Congress, Samajwadi Party and the INDIA bloc are consistently attempting to ensure that the Women's Reservation Amendment Act is not implemented under any circumstances.
In the special assembly session being held on Thursday, the state government will bring a condemnation motion against opposition parties for not allowing the passage of the Constitution Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha.
The objective is to corner the opposition as "anti-women" ahead of the 2027 elections, while the opposition is strongly resisting the move.
(With inputs from PTI)