Two educationists, Rama Sharma and Ruby Mishra, along with Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva, on Monday, voiced their support for the Nari Shakti Vandan Act, condemning the alleged malicious attitude of Opposition parties, including Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, and Samajwadi Party, towards the Bill. They said people will not forgive these parties for what happened in Parliament on April 17.
Addressing a press conference, they alleged that the Opposition tried to block the Nari Shakti Vandan Act, claiming that they will now face the opposition from the women within their own parties.
Speaking on the occasion, Ms Sharma said given the pace at which women are progressing, 50 per cent reservation is their rightful claim, but the opposition is not ready to conceded even for 33 per cent. How will it ever agree to 50 per cent, she questioned.
According to the two educationists, it was shocking for college students as well after the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam was defeated in the Lok Sabha with the Opposition not coming in its support.
The two ladies claimed that they way things happened in the Parliament that day has led to widespread anger among women across all sections of society.
Sachdeva said leaders of the Opposition parties must understand that even the women workers within their own parties are upset with them and will be the first to hold them accountable.
He added that increasing seats by 50 per cent and providing representation to women is not wrong, adding that decisions determine the future, and the decision taken by the opposition proves that the future of women in Congress, SP and other such parties that opposed the Act is bleak.
Sachdeva further said that Home Minister Amit Shah had clearly stated that if there are any amendments, they can be presented immediately so that the Bill could be passed, but the Opposition was only interested in defeating it, the BJP leader added.
He said that the Opposition used delimitation as a pretext to defeat the Act, even though the delimitation framework itself was determined by Congress.
Ruby Mishra, Principal of Bhagini Nivedita College, said she works in an area known as Kair village near Najafgarh, that, despite being in the national capital, lags behind in terms of development, and girls there continue to struggle for education and often have to fight within their families to attend college.
She shared that recently, several girls approached her in the college with a question regarding the recent defeat of the Bill, asking as to why did this happen, “why does this always happen to us?”