Chandigarh: With support for women empowerment at the centre of his resolution, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini lambasted the Congress for skipping the day-long special session of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha, saying it exposed the anti-women mindset of state’s main Opposition party.
Stating that no society could be considered truly progressive unless women were guaranteed equal opportunities, respect and a decisive role in governance, the Chief Minister, moving a resolution, supported 33 per cent reservation for women in state Assemblies, in line with similar provisions in the Lok Sabha. The resolution was passed by voice vote in the House even as the Congress boycotted the proceedings.
“In Parliament, the temple of democracy, the Opposition’s role (of voting against the Bill) amounted to disrobing of women. But today’s Duryodhans and Dushasans (a reference to Mahabharata) can try all they want to stall women empowerment but Prime Minister Narendra Modi, like Lord Krishna, will do everything to protect the dignity of women,” Saini stated.
Terming women as one of the four key pillars of a developed economy, Saini said that the amendment was brought in to speed up the 33 per cent reservation. Launching a sharp attack on the Congress, he said that the party’s absence from the proceedings had exposed its real face. “When it comes to women’s rights, they step back. The same attitude seen in the Lok Sabha has been repeated in the state Assembly. They could have chosen not to repeat the mistakes of the party leaders at the Centre,” Saini stated.
Recalling the contributions of ancient scholars such as Gargi, Maitreyi and Lopamudra, and historical figures like Mata Jijabai and Rani Lakshmibai, Saini said that the achievements of women from Haryana, including Maharani Kishori, noted educationist Subhashini, astronaut Kalpana Chawla and numerous sportspersons were an inspiration. “This resolution serves as a strong message against the mindset that wants to hold back the rise of women,” he mentioned.
He quoted that the state’s sex ratio had improved from 871 to 923 and outlined a wide range of initiatives aimed at strengthening women socially, economically and politically.
Expressing deep disappointment, the Chief Minister said that when the House convened specifically to deliberate on women’s empowerment, the Opposition chose to remain absent and walked out.
“The Congress was apprehensive that our resolution was aimed at condemning their role in the passage of the amendment. During the Business Advisory Committee meeting, I assured the Leader of Opposition that it was only in support of reservation. However, this must be the first time in Haryana’s history where the Opposition came to the Haryana Vidhan Sabha premises and still chose to hold a duplicate session outside instead of speaking on the resolution. Its MLAs could have staged a walkout but they should have attended,” Saini stated.
The Chief Minister said the conduct of Congress and its INDI alliance clearly shows a lack of seriousness towards women’s rights. The Chief Minister said this was a crucial opportunity for the Opposition to support the resolution and send a positive message that it stood with the women.
The Chief Minister emphasised that such behaviour should be condemned and stated that their absence is extremely unfortunate and indicated that a formal condemnation resolution against their conduct should be brought in the House.
He sought support of the members, asserting that it went beyond politics. “This is not a political resolution but a reflection of collective commitment towards ensuring dignity, equal opportunities,“ he said, adding that the public and the women would take the Congress to task for its double-speak and the May 3 result of West Bengal would mark the beginning of things to come.
