Uttarakhand CM targets Opposition over women's quota Bill defeat, draws mythological parallels

Dehradun, April 28 (IANS) Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, during the one-day special Assembly session on 'Nari Samman, Loktantra mein Adhikar' on Tuesday, launched a sharp attack on the Opposition over the defeat of the Women's Reservation (Amendment) Bill, invoking references from the Mahabharat and Ramayan to underline his criticism.

Addressing the House, CM Dhami said, "Today, I would like to thank all of you for your participation in this discussion. First of all, I would like to pay my respects to all those who contributed to the formation of Uttarakhand. Secondly, I pay my respects to the women who contributed to strengthening the foundation of Uttarakhand."

He appealed for support from members of the Assembly for the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (Amendment) Bill and emphasised the cultural reverence for women, stating, "In our Sanatan culture, women are worshipped as goddesses in the form of Maa Durga, Maa Lakshmi, and Maa Saraswati. We seek prosperity and knowledge through their blessings... This is not just our faith and tradition, but the consciousness of our great culture, which always places women at the highest respect and position."

Highlighting examples of inspiring women, the Chief Minister said that India has produced several iconic figures who have set benchmarks of courage and leadership, citing Rani Lakshmi Bai, Savitribai Phule and Kalpana Chawla.

"Women in our country have demonstrated their talent in every field. Today, there is no sphere where they are not enhancing India's pride and glory with their strength and skill. If I talk about Uttarakhand, our mothers and sisters have played a major role in every struggle. Be it Tilu Rauteli, a symbol of bravery and courage who fought against injustice at a very young age, or Jiya Rani, also known as the Lakshmibai of Uttarakhand, who defeated foreign invaders, or Rani Karnavati, who fought the Mughals and left a mark in history, or Gaura Devi of the Chipko Movement, who set a powerful example of environmental protection," he said.

"All these great women are examples of extraordinary courage, leadership and self-respect. Our Matri Shakti has consistently proved that when given an opportunity, women can not only contribute but also lead," CM Dhami added, acknowledging the role of women in the formation of Uttarakhand as a separate state.

He further stressed that no society can progress without empowering women.

"Without the empowerment of women, real progress of any society cannot be imagined. The strength, courage, and support of women form the foundation of our society and national development. When a woman succeeds, she not only uplifts her family but also contributes to society and the nation's growth," he said.

Referring to the Women's Reservation Bill introduced under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, Dhami said that the legislation aimed to ensure 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.

"This was not merely a step to increase the representation of women in legislatures, but also a historic initiative to ensure their meaningful participation in the policymaking process of the country," he said.

He added that the Prime Minister had sought cooperation from all political parties to pass the Bill.

"The aim was to secure rightful representation for half of the country's population in the next Lok Sabha. PM Modi also took steps towards fulfilling this historic commitment by convening a special session of Parliament on April 16. However, the INDIA bloc, Congress, and their allies opposed and prevented the Bill from being passed," he said.

Criticising the Opposition's reaction to the Bill's defeat, Dhami remarked, "When the Bill was defeated due to insufficient votes, the entire country witnessed how Opposition members celebrated by thumping their desks... It reminded me of the Mahabharat episode when the Kauravs insulted Draupadi, and the way Duryodhan, Dushashan and Karna rejoiced. Similarly, after depriving Nari Shakti of their rights, Congress's Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav and Trinamool's Abhishek Banerjee were seen celebrating."

He further drew another parallel, saying, "The manner in which Nari Shakti was disrespected in the Lok Sabha by leaders of Congress, TMC and DMK reminded me of Ravan's arrogance. Perhaps the Congress leadership forgot that Ravan was ultimately defeated because of that very ego and the insult of Mata Sita," while alleging that the Congress is misleading the public on the issue of women's reservation.

"Why does the Opposition have a problem if the number of seats is increased under delimitation? The increased seats would have helped increase women's participation. So why have a problem with that?" he questioned.