Shimla
Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee General Secretary Hari Krishan Himral attacked on the statement of Bharatiya Janata Party, by accusing it of maintaining an anti-women mindset and claiming that the Congress has a historic legacy for empowering women in India.
Addressing the media in Shimla, Himral said the Congress party has consistently promoted women leadership and played a key role in giving women representation in top political positions. He said the country’s first woman party president, first woman Prime Minister and several women Chief Ministers were supported and elevated by the Congress.
He alleged that the BJP’s attitude towards women has repeatedly come under question. Referring to cases involving Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and Kuldeep Sengar, Himral claimed the BJP’s stand in such matters reflected insensitivity towards women’s dignity. He also condemned the alleged treatment of international women wrestlers, calling it “repressive”.
Speaking on the Women’s Reservation Bill, Himral said the Congress government had first initiated the proposal in 1996 and later ensured its passage in the Rajya Sabha during the UPA regime in 2008-10. However, he alleged that the BJP opposed the bill in the Lok Sabha at that time.
He further stated that while the Bill was passed unanimously in 2023, the Centre’s decision to link its implementation with delimitation appeared politically motivated, particularly keeping upcoming elections in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu in mind.
Challenging the BJP, Himral said if the party was genuinely serious about women empowerment, it should implement women’s reservation in the existing 543 Lok Sabha seats in the 2029 general elections without waiting for delimitation.
He also questioned why the reservation has been tied to the delimitation process.
