Yogi Adityanath leads protest against defeat of women quota bill; slams Congress, SP for 'anti-women' attitude

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday lashed out at the Congress and SP for their opposition to the Constitution amendment bill to implement women's quota, saying they "misused" the option given to them by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to shed their "anti-women image".

Adityanath made the remarks after participating in the 'Jan Aakrosh Mahila Padyatra' here to protest the defeat of the Constitution amendment bill.

The government's Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill to implement women's quota and increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816 was defeated in the Lower House on Friday last.

Addressing party workers outside the Uttar Pradesh legislative building after the march, Adityanath said, "Be it the Congress or the Samajwadi Party, their face is undemocratic, their deeds are anti-women. They tried to misuse the option given to them by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to shed their anti-women image".

"Hence, the 'aadhee abadee' (women) is staging protests on the streets across the country against the Congress and its allies," he said.

He also said the march symbolises the resentment among women against the "anti-women" attitude of the Congress, Samajwadi Party, TMC and the DMK.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said there are only four castes in the country. The first caste is women, the second is poor, the third is youth, the fourth is farmers. By centring all policies around these four groups, he has successfully steered the nation to a new pinnacle of economic progress," he noted.

"Whether it is the work of ushering in a new era of infrastructure, preserving India's rich heritage in alignment with the vision of a 'New India,' or implementing schemes aimed at the upliftment of various sections of society, the focal point of all these schemes is 'Nari Shakti' (Women Power). Numerous programmes have been launched specifically to ensure their dignity, security, and self-reliance," he said.

Citing various schemes for women, Adityanath said they serve as foundation for their self-reliance.

"Prime Minister Modi has formulated all these schemes by placing the 'aadhee aabadee' (women) as well as the poor, the youth, and the 'annadata' (farmers) at the centre," he said.

The chief minister also said that the Swachh Bharat Mission is not merely a campaign to raise awareness about cleanliness but is a campaign dedicated to safeguarding the dignity of women.

The provision of free cooking gas cylinders under the Ujjwala Scheme serves not only as a means of supplying fuel, but also as a foundation for self-reliance; it has become an instrument for protecting health and preserving the eyesight. The Ayushman Bharat scheme serves not only the objective of ensuring good health, but also acts as a catalyst for guiding families onto the path of self-reliance," he said.

"There are numerous such programmes on which the BJP is working continuously under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi ji. Yet, the Congress, the Samajwadi Party, and the constituent parties of the INDIA bloc oppose each of these schemes," he said.

Adityanath said while the 'aakrosh rally' has been formally concluded here, it must be carried forward as a campaign in every district, every division, and at every booth level.

Besides the chief minister, his deputies Keshav Prasad Maury and Brajesh Pathak and other leaders of the BJP participated in the march.

The Uttar Pradesh government earlier said in a statement that, "This march is being organised to protest against the failure to pass the crucial amendment bill regarding women's reservation- an act that has deeply hurt the aspirations of millions of mothers and sisters across the country".