The National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW) has alleged that the BJP-led government at the Centre had neither the commitment nor the political will to pass the Women’s Reservation Bill.
Talking to reporters here on Thursday, NFIW general secretary Annie Raja said that when the BJP was in the opposition in Parliament it had repeatedly stated its support for the Bill.
But the party with its huge majority had no political will and commitment to pass the Bill during the last two years. This only showed the double standards and lack of political will of the BJP for the empowerment of women, she said and added that the NFIW demanded the immediate passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill.
Ms. Raja also accused the BJP and RSS of trying to weaken the secular fabric of the country. The ghar wapsi and beef row were a well planned communal design of the RSS to consolidate the Hindu vote bank. She criticised the Rajasthan government of trying to distort history to change the education system by removing references to India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and other freedom fighters and also the Right to Information Act.
The NFIW also condemned Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy’s recent statement that prohibition was not feasible in Puducherry.
The government should find out other sources of income instead of depending on sales through liquor alone. Ms. Raja also demanded the government expedite the process of setting up a One Stop Crisis Centre for women in distress in the UT.
