Andhra Pradesh BJP spokesperson Sheikh Baji demands Congress clarify its stand, accuses party leadership of double standards on women's empowerment

AMARAVATI, April 15: As the Women's Reservation Bill came up for discussion in Parliament on Wednesday, Andhra Pradesh BJP State spokesperson Sheikh Baji launched a sharp attack on the Congress party, accusing it of indulging in what he termed "duplicitous politics" on the question of women's representation in legislative bodies.

Addressing mediapersons here, Mr. Baji demanded that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi spell out their party's unambiguous position on the Bill, asserting that a party which claims to champion women's rights cannot afford to remain equivocal on a matter of such constitutional significance.

The BJP spokesperson credited the Central government, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with demonstrating a sustained commitment to women's empowerment through concrete policy measures. He pointed to the elevation of Droupadi Murmu to the office of President — the highest constitutional post in the country — and the continuing tenure of Nirmala Sitharaman as Finance Minister as evidence of the ruling dispensation's confidence in women's leadership and capability.

Mr. Baji also cited the allocation of 50 per cent reservation for women in Panchayati Raj institutions as a structural reform that had laid the groundwork for inclusive rural governance. Greater participation of women at the grassroots level, he argued, had demonstrable effects on rural education, economic activity, and skill development — ultimately stemming migration and accelerating regional growth.

Invoking the government's guiding principle of "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas," he underscored that no vision of national development could be complete without ensuring meaningful representation for women across all tiers of governance.

The spokesperson also drew attention to the expanding role of women in the armed forces, commending the service of women officers and invoking historical figures such as Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi and Rani Rudramadevi of the Kakatiya dynasty as enduring symbols of feminine resolve and leadership that continue to inspire generations.

Mr. Baji concluded by calling upon all political parties and civil society to extend wholehearted support to the Women's Reservation Bill, describing it as an instrument indispensable to the country's broader democratic and developmental aspirations.