BENGALURU: Union Minister of State for Labour Shobha Karandlaje said the BJP will launch a 10-day statewide awareness campaign on Sunday to mobilise support for the women’s reservation bill, ahead of the upcoming Parliament session.
Addressing a press conference on Sunday, Karandlaje said the outreach aims to educate women about their rights and build public backing ahead of a special Parliament session from April 16 to 18, where amendments to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam are expected to be taken up.
Speaking to reporters, Karandlaje said, “Congress sees everything through the election lens. I don’t think that Parliament debating the women’s reservation bill will affect the state elections. (AICC president) Mallikarjun Kharge should clarify whether he is opposed to this bill.”
Questioning the stand of the Congress on the women’s reservation issue, she said, “There was a discussion on women’s reservation during the previous UPA rule and only crocodile tears were shed for the issue, and they opposed it a few times. For them, a woman now means only Priyanka Gandhi. They don’t want other women to come (into politics).”
She alleged, “They (Congress) don’t want ordinary women to come to Parliament except the likes of Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi. They will have to change their mentality otherwise today’s women won’t accept it.” The minister claimed that this bill was shelved during the UPA’s 10-year tenure.
BJP Mahila Morcha state president C Manjula said district-level conventions, signature drives, missed-call campaigns and rallies will be held across Karnataka to build grassroots support for the legislation.