The Samikhsya Bureau
BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister and ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) supremo Naveen Patnaik has announced that BJD will raise the issue of reservation of women in politics as a national movement.
Addressing the 24th Foundation Day celebration of BJD here on Saturday, he stressed on the urgent need for empowerment of women in Indian society through more representation in the Parliament and State Assemblies.
BJD will make women reservation issue a national movement by raising it in every session of Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and the Legislative Assembly, the five-time Chief Minister stated.
National parties talk of women empowerment only during the polls but conveniently forget their so called concern afterward, he remarked.
Despite BJD being a regional party, it would explore all possible ways to highlight greater representation of women in politics as a national issue.
“We will ensure that each woman in India is made aware about her rights”, he emphasised.
Patnaik reminded that his father late Biju Patnaik, after whom BJD has been named, was the first Chief Minister of the country to ensure 33 per cent of seats for women in the Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies in Odisha in 1992.
“Basing on Biju Patnaik’s ideology, BJD government has raised the reservation ratio for women in Panchayats and Urban Bodies to 50 per cent,” he said.
“From now onwards, in every session of Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and Legislative Assembly, BJD will raise the women’s reservation issue and remind the national parties about their forgotten promises”, Patnaik announced.
“We cannot deprive half of our population of their rights. They must have their rightful place in the political space of our country. If we Indians want to compete with the developed countries, we must first give rights to our women,” he stressed.
