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BJP wants to be the party of Nari Shakti. Here’s a list to make that happen

BJP's empowerment narrative loses some of its sheen when 54 BJP MPs and MLAs—the highest of any party—have cases related to crimes against women.

Dear members of NDA 3.0, the women of India commiserate with you.

It’s been a terrible week and the Opposition has been up to its old-fangled tricks, intent upon stalling progress. Just like you, Indian women have waited for more than two years for the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam to be brought into force. Actually, we waited for 27 years before that for the Bill to become an Act, long before the BJP came to power. So we understand—the unprecedented loss on the floor of the Lok Sabha must have hurt.

That is until we looked up what was actually defeated. Imagine our surprise when we found that—despite some confusing messaging all around–it wasn’t Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam at all! The actual women’s reservation law, that guarantees us 33 per cent share of Parliament seats is alive and well, thank goodness, exactly where you left it in 2023. What fell on the fateful night of 17 April was the delimitation bill, the proposal to hike up Parliament’s seats to 850, based on population. The pesky Opposition keeps insisting that this move will favour the states you already win, that they didn’t vote against women, and that they’re asking you to implement women’s reservation right now, within the existing 543 seats.

But let’s not get knotted up in details. For every defeat bears the distant scent of an impending victory. Take it from the women of India: This is a golden opportunity for the BJP to demonstrate its commitment to empower their laadli behenas and betis (precious sisters and daughters)! You lead the government, and head 21 states and union territories. Not a single item of what follows requires a constitutional amendment or a special majority or cooperation from people you don’t like. And we guarantee that even the Opposition won’t be able to wrest this from you.

Also read: Opposition should read the Constitution. Not just wave it around

Let’s start in the most obvious place, folks—the call is coming from inside the house. The Modi 3.0 Council of Ministers has 72 members, of whom only seven are women and only two—Nirmala Sitharaman and Annpurna Devi—hold Cabinet ranks. We don’t doubt your commitment to nari shakti, but only about 10 per cent representation in the executive........

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