Dubbing NDA government at the Centre and BJD regime in Odisha as anti-women, All India Mahila Congress today said despite promises made two years ago, BJP is silent on women quota bill, while atrocities on women had risen sharply during Naveen Patnaik rule.
"Almost two years have elapsed since BJP came to power at the centre. However, it has done little for the passage of women's reservation bill as it is anti-woman," All India Mahila Congress President Sobha Ojha told reporters here.
Claiming that BJP is against empowerment of women, Ojha said the party had promised before the elections two years ago that it would ensure passage of the women quota bill if it gets absolute majority in Lok Sabha.
However, despite enjoying absolute majority in the lower house, the party is silent on the measure seeking to give 33 per cent reservation of seats to women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies as it lacks commitment, she said.
Congress-led UPA, on the other hand, had always worked sincerely for the empowerment of women financially and socially through a number of steps including strengthening of self help groups, Ojha said adding the position of women has been elevated substantially at panchayat level.
Hitting out at the BJP-led NDA, the Mahila Congress chief alleged that a rape accused from Rajasthan continued to be a minister in Narendra Modi ministry which shows how insensitive the government is.
Turning to BJD-ruled Odisha, Ojha made a stinging attack on Naveen Patnaik government accusing it of being highly insensitive towards women. Alleging that atrocities against women increased sharply during the BJD regime, she claimed that every day six to seven cases of atrocities against women are being registered in Odisha.
This is only the tip of the iceberg as a large number of atrocities against women are not being registered, she said adding trafficking of women also rose alarmingly in the state.
Citing an example, Ojha said the state government unleashed terror during an anti-liquor rally held by women recently in which demonstrators were beaten up by the police.
Many women were injured but nothing was done to compensate them and take action against the erring cops, she said.
Accusing the BJD government of failing to ensure proper healthcare for women, Ojha said the pathetic state of affair came to fore when a pregnant woman had to be carried on a "charpoy" (light cot) to the hospital as the ambulance failed to reach her home in time in tribal dominated Rayagada district.
"All these expose the Naveen government's hollow claims about women welfare," she said.
During her visit to Odisha, the Mahila Congress chief joined a rally organised at Cuttack to highlight BJD's "misrule" and a demonstration staged here by the women's wing of Odisha Pradesh Congress in protest against increase in the prices of petrol and diesel.
