In a heated session of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, senior Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA Kamal Akhtar accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of misleading the public on the issue of women's reservation. Speaking on the assembly floor, Akhtar said the BJP was using the 2011 census as a pretext to delay the delimitation of constituencies, which is a prerequisite for implementing the women's reservation law.
Contradictory Stances on 2011 Census
Akhtar pointed out a contradiction in the BJP's position. While the central government insists on using the 2011 census for delimitation, the Uttar Pradesh government had earlier opposed conducting panchayat elections based on the same census data. He argued that this inconsistency reveals the BJP's lack of genuine commitment to women's empowerment.
Akhtar further emphasized that his party has always been a strong advocate for women's rights and has consistently pushed for reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies.
BJP Accused of Ignoring Own Woman MLA
SP MLA Ragini Sonkar highlighted an incident involving BJP MLA Anupama Jaiswal, who suffered burn injuries during a protest in Bahraich on April 25. Sonkar alleged that the BJP leadership ignored Jaiswal's plight, and it was only after SP chief Akhilesh Yadav visited her in the hospital that Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Maurya and Brajesh Pathak finally came to meet her.
Protest on Assembly Premises
Earlier in the day, SP members staged a protest on the assembly premises, accusing the BJP of misleading the public on women's reservation. Holding banners that read, 'Implement 33% Women's Reservation,' the SP legislators alleged that the BJP was deliberately withholding the benefits of this legislation from women to facilitate delimitation according to its own preferences.
SP's Stance on Women's Rights
SP MLA Sangram Singh asserted that the BJP stood exposed on this issue and has been anti-women from the very beginning. He credited socialist leaders like Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia and Mulayam Singh Yadav for championing women's rights. Singh demanded immediate implementation of the women's reservation law.
SP MLA Amitabh Bajpai questioned why the BJP was failing to enforce a statute passed in 2023. He demanded that the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly elections be conducted in accordance with the women's reservation law's provisions.
Leader of Opposition Weighs In
Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, Lal Bihari Yadav, reiterated that the SP is a staunch proponent of women's reservation. He noted that the women's reservation bill was passed by both Houses of Parliament in 2023 and that the SP harbors no opposition to it. He accused the BJP of misleading the public under the guise of women's empowerment.
