Sena, NCP stay away from Mahayuti march for Women’s Reservation Bill

In a rally in Mumbai, BJP showcased strong support for women's reservation, while Shiv Sena and NCP were absent, leading to public backlash over traffic disruptions.

MUMBAI: A joint rally of the Mahayuti coalition, in which women workers from all three constituents were meant to participate, saw a no show by the Shiv Sena (Shinde) and NCP (Ajit Pawar). The BJP turned out in full strength, with thousands of female party workers attending in the presence of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.

The rally at the NSCI Dome in Worli on Wednesday was part of the Mahayuti’s statewide protest in support of the bill and to condemn the opposition for defeating it in the Lok Sabha (Raju Shinde/HT Photo)

The rally at the NSCI Dome in Worli on Wednesday was part of the Mahayuti’s statewide protest in support of the bill and to condemn the opposition for defeating it in the Lok Sabha. Before the rally, the BJP staged a march from Jamboree Maidan to the Dome to show its support for the Modi government’s ostensible move for 33% reservation for women. Thousands of BJP leaders and workers participated in the march.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said this was the beginning of the BJP’s “exposing the opposition’s anti-woman face” and garnering support for the bill. In a speech, he claimed that the Congress had always been against reservation and women’s welfare since the Nehru era. “Nehru opposed Dr B R Ambedkar’s proposal to strengthen women through the Hindu Code Bill,” he said. “A B Vajpayee’s government brought in the women’s reservation bill after 1996 but the opposition stood against it. The Congress-led governments under Manmohan Singh had a two-thirds majority but they did not bring it up, as they are against reservation for women. The Congress does not want to give reservation as it fears that its male dominance will come to an end. It is opposing nari shakti.”

Meanwhile, BJP leaders face the ire of a motorist in Worli because of the traffic jam caused by the march. A video went viral on social media, in which a furious woman motorist, stuck on the road, walked to the protest site and created a commotion. She asked water resources minister Girish Mahajan why motorists should have to bear the brunt of their protest and suffer traffic jams and delays. “Hold your marches in grounds and not on roads,” she said. “Hundreds of people are stuck in traffic because of your march.” She was also seen hurling some object at the crowd and asking the leaders get out from there.

The video was shared by NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar, saying the people’s outburst was because they understood that the march was not for a noble cause.

Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal said the true face of the BJP, which was engaging in politics in the name of women’s empowerment, had been exposed by the woman. “BJP’s ploy to bring about changes in the Constitution and the electoral process under the guise of women’s reservation had already been thwarted by the INDIA alliance. After that, attempts were underway to mislead once again through marches and campaigns; however, this bold sister has now foiled that ploy as well,” Sapkal said in a post on X.

“Today, only minister Girish Mahajan has been chased away. In the coming times, women across the country will not rest until they drive the BJP out of power in a similar manner,” he added.