The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday organized a large protest march in Agartala, targeting the Congress-led opposition bloc over its stance on the Nari Shakti Adhiniyam Bill. The party alleged that the opposition’s position was detrimental to women’s interests and hindered efforts to ensure greater political representation for women.
Thousands of activists, particularly from the BJP’s women’s wing, Mahila Morcha, took part in the demonstration. The participants marched through various parts of the city, raising slogans against the opposition and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi. As part of the protest, effigies of Gandhi were also burnt, reflecting strong dissent against the opposition’s stand on the Bill.
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha addressed the gathering and emphasized that the proposed legislation aimed at providing reservation for women had undergone necessary revisions before implementation. He explained that although the Nari Shakti Adhiniyam had been introduced earlier, certain amendments were required prior to its rollout. According to him, the central government proposed using the 2011 census data for delimitation to expedite the process.
Saha alleged that the Congress and its regional allies opposed this move, ultimately leading to the Bill being stalled. He described the opposition’s stance as an injustice to women, asserting that the protest was organized to highlight this issue and raise public awareness.
BJP Tripura Pradesh President and Rajya Sabha MP Rajib Bhattacharjee also criticized the opposition, stating that the Bill sought to provide 33 percent reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies. He argued that if passed, it would have significantly enhanced women’s political representation across the country.
Echoing similar sentiments, BJP Tripura Mahila Morcha President and former MLA Mimi Majumder accused the opposition of undermining women’s rights through its actions. She stressed that the Bill represented a crucial step toward empowering women in the political sphere.
The protest concluded with participants carrying placards and chanting slogans, reiterating the party’s demand for support to the Bill and its call for greater representation and empowerment of women in governance.
