Team Goemkarponn
Panaji: The Goa Pradesh Youth Congress Committee has criticised the BJP-led government, accusing it of politicising the issue of women’s reservation and failing to demonstrate genuine commitment to women’s empowerment. In a press statement, Youth Congress president Adv. Archit Naik said the matter was far too serious to be reduced to a blame game, rejecting claims by the Bharatiya Janata Party that the Indian National Congress had stalled the legislation.
Naik asserted that the Women’s Reservation Bill had already been passed in 2023 with broad consensus and urged the Centre to focus on implementing the existing framework instead of creating confusion. He maintained that the Congress and other opposition parties remain ready to support the legislation again, but cautioned against introducing it with “hidden agendas” under the guise of women’s empowerment. Questioning the BJP’s internal practices, he asked why the party has not implemented 33 per cent reservation for women within its own structure, pointing to the underrepresentation of women in decision-making bodies and the absence of a woman MLA in the Goa cabinet. “Intent without action is hypocrisy,” he remarked.
The statement also raised concerns over what it described as selective enforcement of law and order. It alleged that while certain groups were allowed to march towards the Congress office without intervention, residents from Mirabag and Chimbel protesting over basic issues were stopped, calling it a clear double standard. The Youth Congress questioned whether the law was being applied equally to all citizens or selectively in favour of those aligned with the ruling party.
Calling for concrete steps, the Youth Congress urged the BJP to implement the Women’s Reservation framework passed in 2023 without delay, announce 33 per cent reservation for women within the party, ensure greater representation of women in governance including the Goa cabinet, and put an end to what it termed the selective misuse of administrative powers. Reiterating its stand, the organisation said women’s empowerment cannot remain a slogan and must be backed by sincerity and action.
