BJP Slams Congress for 'Naari Shakti Virodhi Mentality' Over Lack of Women Ministers

NEW DELHI: BJP national spokesperson CR Kesavan on Sunday accused the Congress of having a "Naari Shakti virodhi mentality", alleging that the absence of women ministers in the Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh Cabinets reflected the party leadership's attitude towards women.

Kesavan made the remarks in a post on X while sharing an ANI report on Sowmya Reddy's resignation as Karnataka Pradesh Mahila Congress president, in which she raised concerns over the absence of women ministers in the state Cabinet. "The Karnataka Congress Cabinet, which continues to deny even one single representation to women, exposes the deeply discriminatory and misogynistic mindset of the top Congress leadership," Kesavan said. He also criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of making contradictory statements on women's empowerment and alleging that his conduct in incidents involving women did not reflect respect for them.

"While Rahul Gandhi dishonestly tom-toms about 'Smash the Patriarchy ', in reality the narrow-minded Congress leadership has repeatedly demeaned the dignity of Naari Shakti. In the recent past, Rahul Gandhi's inappropriate behaviour with female police personnel and the incident involving shoving aside a female journalist reveal how the Congress has neither respect nor regard for our Naari Shakti," he alleged. Kesavan further accused the Congress of disrespecting religious sentiments and opposing women's empowerment, referring to Rahul Gandhi's alleged remarks on Chhathi Maiya in Bihar, the alleged abuse of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's late mother by Congress leaders, and the party's past position on the Shah Bano case. "The Congress has also been historically against women's empowerment, which is why, despite being in power for nearly 60 years at the Centre, it never bothered to implement the Women's Reservation Bill. On the contrary, it disempowered women and inflicted injustice by overturning the Shah Bano judgement," he said. (ANI)

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