Congress questions Modi government’s record in implementing women’s welfare schemes

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh also pointed to the doubling of crime against women and children, shrinking budget and underutilisation of funds, low pay and ill-treatment of anganwadi workers, rising anaemia among women and children, and unemployment and loss of income among women

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh. File | Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma

On a day when an objectionable post by the Congress’ social media in-charge Supriya Shrinate against actor and BJP candidate from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat, Kangana Ranaut, triggered outrage, the Congress attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government for reducing the budget of women-centred welfare schemes, flagging five key problems. 

Ms. Shrinate later clarified that the post had been authored by someone who had access to her social media accounts. 

Meanwhile, in a 11-part post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh questioned the Modi government’s record in the past 10 years in implementing various women-centric schemes. He said the BJP’s slogans of “nari shakti” (women empowerment) remained empty words without real action. “For 10 years, the Ministry of Women and Child Development has seen only incompetence, apathy, and an anti-women mindset. While the Minister herself remains silent as women across India are assaulted, waking up only for crimes in Opposition-ruled states, her Ministry diverts funds away from necessary schemes and hardworking women,” he wrote.

Mr. Ramesh also listed out the five “failures” — doubling of crime against women and children, shrinking budget and underutilisation of funds, low pay and ill-treatment of anganwadi workers, rising anaemia among women and children, and unemployment and loss of income among women. 

“Crime against women has almost doubled in the last 10 years - from 2.4 lakh crimes in 2012 to 4.5 lakh in 2022,” he said, pointing out further that the non-lapsable Nirbhaya fund instituted for addressing the issue remains unutilised. Until 2022, he said, only 35% of this fund had been used.

Mr. Ramesh also questioned the BJP government’s silence over issues, including complaints of sexual harassment filed by women wrestlers against BJP MP Brij Bhushan Singh, freeing convicted rapists of Bilkis Bano, and even the incidents of sexual assault that came to the fore in Manipur.

“Most concerning, while every day a new report of rape and assault comes from Manipur, the Prime Minister and the Minister for Women & Child Development have remained completely inertial. Even after horrific videos of women being assaulted have come out, no meaningful action has been taken. If she cannot even speak up on these issues, what exactly is the Minister of Women and Child Development doing?” he asked. 

Mr. Ramesh further pointed out that in 2023-24, only 0.55% of the Union Budget had been allocated towards anganwadis, nutritional schemes, women’s security, and childcare institutions. This trend, he said, was not new — the MWCD’s share of the Union Budget had been less than 0.75% for the last four years.