JAMMU, Apr 22: Hundreds of BJP activists on Wednesday staged a protest march towards the Congress office in Jammu, opposing the opposition’s alleged obstruction of the Constitution amendment bill aimed at implementing women’s reservation.
In response, the Jammu and Kashmir Congress also held a protest at its office, accusing the BJP of a “blatant and desperate assault on democracy under the guise of women’s empowerment.”
The BJP’s ‘Jan Aakrosh Mahila Padyatra’, led by J&K unit president and MP Sat Sharma along with other MPs and MLAs, began from Maharaja Hari Singh Park. The protesters raised anti-Congress slogans and marched towards the Congress office at Vir Marg, where they also burnt effigies of opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav.
Security forces and the administration had placed heavy barricades and barbed wire to prevent the march from reaching the Congress office.
BJP leaders, including MLA Yudhvir Sethi, criticised opposition parties over the bill’s failure in Parliament, alleging that parties like Congress, DMK, TMC, and Samajwadi Party opposed it due to “dynastic and selfish politics.” He claimed the opposition fears the collapse of its dynastic political structure.
MP Jugal Kishore said the move has disappointed millions of women who were hoping for stronger representation in Parliament, adding that their aspirations were “crushed by the opposition.”
He also criticized opposition leaders for celebrating the bill’s defeat, calling it an insult to women’s dignity and empowerment.
Soon after the BJP protest began, Congress workers also staged a counter-demonstration at their office, accusing the BJP of misusing the issue of women’s empowerment for political gain. The protest was led by JKPCC working president Raman Bhalla.
Senior Congress leader Namrata Sharma said the party fully supports women’s reservation and has consistently backed 33 percent reservation in legislative bodies. She added that the Congress supported the 2023 law, which reflected a national consensus on women’s empowerment.
She further alleged that constitutional changes should not be used for political or electoral advantage, stressing that women’s rights must not be reduced to political rhetoric.
The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, which aimed to implement women’s quota and increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816, was defeated in the Lok Sabha last Friday. (Agency)
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