'What were they doing for 65 years': Bihar BJP chief slams Congress' 'Mahila Ki Baat' initiative

Patna, April 18 (IANS) Bihar BJP President Dilip Jaiswal on Friday criticised the Congress’s newly launched women-centric campaign, ‘Mahila Ki Baat, Congress Ke Sath’, questioning the party’s commitment to women’s empowerment during its decades in power.

The campaign was officially launched on Friday at the Congress state headquarters, Sadaqat Ashram, with senior leaders including Mahila Congress national President Alka Lamba, Bihar Congress president Rajesh Kumar, Shakeel Ahmed Khan, Madan Mohan Jha, and MLA Pratima Das unveiling the campaign poster.

Talking to IANS, Jaiswal said: "What was the Congress doing for 65 years? Today, they suddenly remember women’s respect and rights? Why didn’t they provide reservation for women when they were in power for decades?"

Highlighting the achievements of the NDA government in Bihar, Jaiswal emphasised the work done under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

"Today, under Nitish Kumar's leadership, women have been given reservation in local and municipal bodies, in government jobs, and recently, in educational institutions. No other state has done as much as Bihar for women's empowerment," he said.

“The 'Jeevika Didi' programme, which started here, is now being replicated at the national level by the Modi government. This is real empowerment, not slogans.”

Jaiswal further condemned the recent communal violence in Murshidabad, West Bengal, calling it "inhuman" and "deeply shameful".

He accused the INDIA bloc and the Mamata Banerjee government of deliberately fostering religious discord for political gain.

"Such incidents are part of a larger agenda to divide Hindus and Muslims for political mileage. But the truth is, Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians are all equal citizens of this country. Those involved in the violence are not representatives of any religion; they are anti-social elements. They must be dealt with strictly," he said.

He added, “These leaders thrive on hatred. During the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests, we saw similar tactics. I urge Mamata Banerjee to stop playing with people’s emotions. Whether one prays to Bhagwan or Allah, no one supports such divisive politics. She must believe in the Constitution and laws of the land.”

The violence in Murshidabad reportedly erupted during protests by sections of the Muslim community against recent amendments to the Waqf Act, which protesters claim would lead to centralisation and misuse of Muslim charitable properties.

Following the unrest, security has been significantly tightened in the affected areas. Paramilitary forces have been deployed alongside state police, and 274 individuals have been arrested so far for their alleged involvement in the clashes.

--IANS

jk/vd