Akhilesh Yadav Slams BJP's Women's Reservation Bill as Electoral Distraction
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led central government, accusing it of showing undue haste in pushing through the women's reservation bill. He alleged that this rush is a deliberate attempt to avoid implementing a 'quota within quota' system for women from marginalized communities, which would become mandatory if the bill were passed after the completion of the current census and caste enumeration.
Conspiracy Allegations and Electoral Motives
"I am all for reservation for women but against the jugglery that the BJP is up to as a part of a conspiracy," Yadav stated emphatically. He pointed out that the BJP and its allies maintain a studied silence when it comes to extending reservation benefits specifically to women from the Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Minorities.
The SP chief reiterated his firm stance that the Centre's Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (Women Reservation Bill) is nothing more than an electoral distraction. He insisted that any reservation for women should only be granted after the current census and caste enumeration are fully completed. This, he argued, would provide accurate statistical data to determine fair and proportionate reservation quotas based on population ratios.
Demand for Proportional Representation
Yadav passionately pitched for a quota within quota framework, advocating that women from Other Backward Castes, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Minorities receive reservation in direct proportion to their demographic representation. "The haste being shown indicates that the BJP is on its way out," he declared, suggesting that the ruling party's urgency stems from a desire to defer the census and thereby eliminate the possibility of caste enumeration.
He elaborated, "Because once census is completed, there will be demand for proportionate reservation and quota within quota, which the BJP and its associates never want to give." According to Yadav, the BJP consistently makes calculated political moves, and when one group sees through their designs, the party simply shifts its focus to a new demographic.
Criticism of BJP's Governance and Women's Issues
Yadav further criticized the BJP regime, claiming that women have been the worst affected under its governance. "With this bill, the BJP is trying to mislead the women population. But since women are the worst hit in the BJP regime, they will not bite the bait," he asserted. He highlighted pressing issues such as rising LPG prices and soaring crime rates, which disproportionately burden women.
"It is the women who have to bear the brunt of rising LPG prices and a soaring crime rate. They will not be hoodwinked by the BJP anymore," Yadav added, expressing confidence that women voters will see through what he describes as deceptive tactics.
Strategic Insights from SP Leaders
A senior SP strategist provided additional context, noting that the BJP passed the Women's Reservation Bill in 2023 but did not implement it immediately, citing its linkage to the upcoming census and subsequent delimitation process. "Now, suddenly the BJP wants to implement it without explaining the urgency," the leader remarked.
The strategist also revealed that the BJP's sudden push might be a countermeasure to the Samajwadi Party's own announcement. The SP has pledged that, if voted to form the government in the 2027 elections, it will introduce the 'Stree Samman Samriddhi Yojana'. This ambitious scheme promises to provide an annual financial support of Rs 40,000 to poor women across the state, positioning it as a tangible alternative to the BJP's legislative efforts.
