Delhi CM Gupta wears black armband, slams Opposition over Women's Reservation Bill

New Delhi: Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday protested the non-passage of the Mahila Shakti Amendment Bill in Parliament by wearing a black armband at a summit here.

Terming it a “painful” development, Gupta slammed the Opposition parties for blocking the passage of the 131st Constitutional Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha on Friday.

Every woman in their constituencies will question the "anti-women" stance taken by the Opposition parties, she said at a women's entrepreneurs summit organised by the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT). She, also, led the sloganeering in support of women's rights at the summit.

“The Opposition had decided that at any cost, we will not let women reach the Lok Sabha. The truth is, they only care about women in their families and not 70 crore women of the country,” Gupta said in a post on X.

She claimed that the Opposition parties wanted to politicise the matter.

“In 1971, the country's population was around 50 crore; now that has increased to 140 crore. In that sense, the number of seats should increase. But you (Opposition) had a problem because you did not want to divide your existing constituency into two and let a woman come forward,” the chief minister said.

While comparing India with Western countries, the Opposition should know that women's representation there is nearly 50 per cent or more in some countries, the chief minister stated.

“As a woman chief minister, this is not merely political, it is about dignity and sensitivity,” said Gupta, adding that a crucial opportunity to give crores of women a role in decision-making has been taken away.

The chief minister alleged that this is not the first time the Congress and its allies have obstructed women's empowerment, stating that their approach exposed their true intent.

"Women are watching and understanding everything. This injustice will not go unanswered," she said, asserting that the country has changed and women will now claim their rights.