Fadnavis Blasts Opposition Over Women's Reservation Bill Defeat

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis launched a potent criticism against the Opposition on Tuesday following the defeat of the Women's Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha. The bill, which sought to fast-track 33% political reservation for women, fell short of the required votes, with Fadnavis accusing opposition leaders of deceitful conduct.

Addressing a 'Jan Akrosh' gathering, Fadnavis claimed that the Opposition was fully aware that the bill could not proceed without a fresh Census and delimitation but chose to oppose it regardless. He lamented that the lack of amendment to the Constitution hampers the implementation of women's reservation, despite past support from many of the same parties due to NDA's majority.

Fadnavis attempted to address concerns from southern states regarding seat distribution, suggesting an increase in seats to prevent any state from losing representation. He highlighted that the defeat of the bill denies increased female representation in legislative bodies. The BJP leader called for a major mobilization of support from women to challenge opposition resistance effectively.

(With inputs from agencies.)