How BJP's Setback On Women's Bill Fuels Mamata's Attack

Mamata Banerjee fiercely criticises the BJP's failure to pass the Women's Reservation Bill, alleging it was a political manoeuvre to divide India and Bengal and accusing the BJP of deception.

The BJP's "downfall" began in Parliament and will continue in Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Saturday, seizing on the Centre's failure to pass a Constitution amendment bill to implement women's quota in legislatures from 2029.

Addressing rallies at Uluberia in Howrah, and Baruipur, Bhangore and Sonarpur in South 24 Parganas, she launched a blistering attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claiming the BJP's failed bid to link women's reservation with delimitation had exposed the Centre's "real game" to divide the country and Bengal.

Banerjee Accuses BJP of Political Ploy

The TMC supremo alleged the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill was never really meant to empower women but was a political ploy to redraw the country's electoral map and help the BJP cling to power.

"The bill was never meant for the empowerment of women. In the name of the Women's Reservation Bill, they wanted to divide the country and divide Bengal. The fall of Modi has started from yesterday. In the coming days, we will dethrone the BJP," Banerjee said, turning the NDA's parliamentary setback into a battle cry for the assembly polls.

"Yesterday proved they are no longer a majority government. It is a minority government, somehow running with the support of two parties. They have been badly humiliated in Delhi. Now the people of Bengal should humiliate them again," she said.

Details of the Failed Women's Reservation Bill

The BJP-led government at the Centre failed to secure the passage of the bill, which sought to provide 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies before the 2029 Lok Sabha polls through a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census.

The legislation, which also proposed increasing the strength of the Lok Sabha to 816, required a two-thirds majority but fell short, with 298 MPs voting in favour and 230 against. It needed 352 votes to pass.

Banerjee repeatedly questioned why women's reservation had been tied to delimitation, accusing the Centre of hiding its "real game" behind the language of women's empowerment.

"We have fought for women's reservation since 1998. We already have 50 per cent reservation for women in panchayats and municipalities. In the Lok Sabha, 37 per cent of our MPs are women. In the Rajya Sabha, women account for 46 per cent. Narendra Modi should learn from us," she said.

Banerjee Alleges BJP's Hidden Agenda

"What was the need for clubbing delimitation with the Women's Reservation Bill? Do they think they are too clever? They brought delimitation under the garb of the Women's Reservation Bill because Narendra Modi could not have won with the existing number of seats. That is why they wanted to increase Lok Sabha seats to around 850. This was the underlying game," the TMC supremo claimed.

Invoking the Bengali idiom 'shak diye mach dhaka' (covering the Sun with a sieve), Banerjee alleged the BJP was trying to conceal a far bigger political design.

"This is not a Women's Reservation Bill. They decide what the media should show and what it should not. Behind women's reservation was their plan to divide India and divide Bengal," she said, adding that having sensed the design early, the TMC sent most of its MPs to attend the Parliament session.

"I was asked to send 20 MPs. I sent 21 MPs. They all went despite election campaigning because Bengal had to be protected. We will not allow the nation to be divided, no matter what," Banerjee said.

Banerjee Intensifies Attack on Modi

With Prime Minister Modi scheduled to address the nation on Saturday evening, Banerjee sharpened her attack further.

"I have heard Modi will speak today. His speeches are nothing but a barrage of lies. Through delimitation, they wanted to divide the country. They are the real tukde tukde gang. The Women's Reservation Bill was only a front," she said.

"After delimitation, they would have brought the NRC and sent people to detention camps. In the name of SIR, they have already taken away your voting rights. They deleted names from the voters' list. Do you want to stand in more queues after demonetisation, Aadhaar and NRC? You have stood in too many queues. Now throw the BJP out of the queue," Banerjee said.

The TMC supremo sought to weave together Parliament, Bengal and the upcoming elections into one political narrative -- that the BJP's setback in Delhi could become the beginning of its slide in Bengal and beyond.

"Yesterday, they lost in Parliament. Tomorrow they will lose on the ground. We first defeated them in Bengal (in 2021). Now we have targeted Delhi. After winning Bengal, we will capture Delhi democratically," she said.

The TMC chief also revived her familiar charge that the BJP was trying to rule Bengal through central agencies and the bureaucracy. She then switched to bread-and-butter issues, seeking to reinforce the TMC's campaign among women and poor voters.

"Narendra Modi promised two crore jobs every year. In 12 years, that means 24 crore jobs. Where are those jobs? In Bengal alone, we have given two crore jobs," she claimed.

"Have you got Rs 15 lakh? Has black money come back? After the elections, they will increase the prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas again," Banerjee alleged.

The chief minister also warned people against what she described as the BJP's attempts to collect data in the name of financial assistance.

"Now they are saying they will give you Rs 3,000. Don't fill out those forms. They are taking your names and addresses. Then they will take money from your accounts. They are frauds," she alleged.