Senior Samajwadi Party member and MLC Rajendra Chaudhary strongly refuted the Bharatiya Janata Party's allegations that the Samajwadi Party is anti-women for having opposed the amendment to the Nari Vandan Bill, 2023. During Thursday's special session, Chaudhary asserted that the Nari Vandana Amendment Bill, which was defeated in Parliament, was not a reservation bill but a Delimitation Bill.
Chaudhary's speech disrupted by BJP members
In a speech that was continuously disrupted by members of the BJP, Chaudhary said that even though the original reservation bill was passed in 2023, the BJP was not serious about giving women reservation or equality. He stated, "Samajwadi Party has been in favour of the Nari Vandana Act. It cast its vote for it. In the Samajwadi movement, Draupadi is considered the ideal woman. Draupadi stood up against the injustice done to her. The proposal brought in the House today is flawed. BJP is not constitutionally compliant. The person who drafted this proposal has no knowledge of the Constitution."
Accusations of misinformation
Chaudhary accused the BJP of spreading misinformation, pointing out that the proposal in the Parishad claimed that the Nari Vandana Bill 2023 was passed by the NDA government, whereas it was actually passed by Parliament with consensus among all parties. He emphasized that the Women's Reservation Bill 2023 was passed collectively by all opposition parties. He added that the SP's policy of male-female equality extends from Dr. Rammanohar Lohia to SP national president Akhilesh Yadav.
The MLC's remarks come amid ongoing political tensions over women's reservation. The Samajwadi Party has maintained that while it supports women's reservation, the specific amendment brought forward was not a genuine reservation measure but rather a move related to delimitation. Chaudhary's defense underscores the party's stance that it has consistently advocated for women's rights and equality.
