Uttarakhand chief minister slams opposition as ‘anti-women’, blocks quota for women

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday launched a sharp attack on the opposition parties, accusing them of being “anti-women” and deliberately blocking the progress of Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.Asserting that those who ruled for 60 years failed to ensure women’s rights, Dhami attributed the passage of the 33% reservation bill to Prime Minister Narendra Modi while claiming that the opposition was now erecting obstacles to prevent the bill from being implemented in 2029.“The people who ruled the country for six decades after independence never did anything for women’s rights,” Dhami told reporters. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, which provides 33 per cent reservation for women, was passed by Parliament. When it was about to be implemented through amendments from 2029, they put up barriers and hindered women’s rights and representation. They are anti-women and they are exposed before the state. “The remarks came against the backdrop of the failure of the constitutional amendment to be passed in the Lok Sabha, triggering strong reactions from leaders across the political spectrum.The Lok Sabha reviewed and passed the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, the Delimitation Bill and the Federal Territory Laws (Amendment) Bill.After the debate on the three bills, differences emerged over the constitutional amendment, with 298 people voting in favor and 230 against.With the constitutional amendment defeated, the government later said it did not want to pursue two other related bills. The bill seeks to increase the size of the Lok Sabha from 543 to 816 members, of which 33% will be reserved for women. Delimitation will be done based on the 2011 census.The government said seats will be increased proportionately in all states.Opposition parties said they strongly support women’s reservation but oppose the Delimitation Bill. They appealed to the government to implement reservation rights for women in the existing strength of the Lok Sabha.