Hardeep Puri, Rekha Sharma, Sat Sharma slam Congress for ‘Killing’ Women’s Reservation Bill; BJP reaffirms commitment to Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam

• Congress, INDI Alliance acted anti-women, betrayed women: BJP

JAMMU: Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister, Rekha Sharma, Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) and former Chairperson of the National Commission for Women, in the presence of Sat Sharma, Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) and President, J&K BJP, addressed a press conference at the BJP J&K Headquarters, Trikuta Nagar, Jammu.

BJP Vice-President Priya Sethi, General Secretary Sanjita Dogra, Mahila Morcha President Adv. Neha Mahajan, senior leaders Veenu Khanna, and Shailja Gupta, were also present in the Press Conference.

Hardeep Singh Puri, addressing the media, launched a scathing attack on the Congress and the INDI alliance, accusing them of deliberately sabotaging the historic Women’s Reservation initiative. He asserted that the Modi government demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the legislation, even to the extent that Union Home Minister Amit Shah offered additional time for consensus-building and amendments to ensure its passage. However, the opposition, driven by narrow political interests, chose obstruction over empowerment.

Puri emphasized that since assuming office, the Modi government has consistently advanced a model of women-led development. He highlighted that several flagship schemes have been designed with women at the center, including ensuring women’s ownership in housing under government initiatives. Rejecting the misinformation spread by opposition parties, he categorically stated that claims regarding southern states suffering losses due to delimitation are baseless and misleading. Backed by data, he pointed out that states such as Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala stand to gain in representation, exposing the opposition’s narrative as politically motivated propaganda.

He further accused Congress and its allies of acting as habitual disruptors, stating that their opposition to the bill reflects their deep-rooted discomfort with genuine women's empowerment, like Triple Talaq. “By celebrating the obstruction of a transformative bill meant for women, Congress has once again exposed its anti-women mindset and insulted the aspirations of ‘Nari Shakti’ across the nation,” he said, adding that the BJP, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, remains resolute in ensuring the passage and implementation of this landmark reform.

Rekha Sharma, in her address, strongly condemned the Congress for repeatedly derailing the cause of women’s reservation over the past three decades. She noted that despite extensive discussions in Parliament, the opposition once again chose to “kill” the bill. She reiterated Prime Minister Modi’s assertion that women’s reservation is not a favour but a rightful entitlement.

Sharma underlined that delimitation is a necessary and integral step to ensure effective implementation of the reservation framework, and accused Congress of attempting to create a false North-South divide to derail the process. She cited multiple instances of alleged anti-women conduct and statements by leaders of opposition parties, asserting that these reflect their regressive mindset. She said that former Minister Murugan of DMK in March 1989 pulled the clothes (Sari) of Jayalalita. Mulayam Singh of Samajwadi Party uttered that boys are boys, Rapes happen”. Sandesh Khali has continuously witnessed the atrocities against women by Trinamool. Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party said that the reservation should be given to Muslims based on religion.

Launching a blistering critique, she stated that Congress remains confined to dynastic politics, revolving around females from a single family, namely Indira, Sonia, and Priyanka, with little regard for empowering women beyond that circle, and even humiliating women MPs of these parties to please these entitled females. “The repeated obstruction of this bill proves that Congress and its allies are more interested in political theatrics than genuine social reform,” she remarked, adding that such parties will continue to invent excuses to stall progressive legislation in the future as well.

Sat Sharma, earlier, provided a summary of the deception and historical blunder of the Congress and the INDI alliance. He asserted that the opposition’s actions have exposed their hypocrisy and double standards on women’s issues. He emphasized that while the Modi government has taken bold and historic steps to ensure women’s rightful representation in governance, the Congress has consistently acted as the biggest roadblock.

Sharma stated that the people of the country, especially women, are closely watching these developments and will hold the opposition accountable for betraying their aspirations. He reaffirmed that the BJP will continue its aggressive outreach to expose the anti-women stance of Congress and the INDI alliance, and will not rest until justice is delivered to the women of India through the full implementation of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.