Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has made fresh allegations against the Congress, saying that party MP Shashi Tharoor indirectly admitted that the Congress is anti-women.
Speaking in an interview, Rijiju said that after the recent Parliament session, Tharoor told him that while the Congress party may be seen as anti-women, no one would consider Tharoor personally anti-women. Rijiju said this statement suggests that even Tharoor accepted the criticism of his party.
The BJP has been accusing the Congress and other opposition parties of opposing women’s rights after they voted against the Women’s Reservation Bill.
The proposed bill aimed to provide 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. It also included plans to increase the number of seats in Parliament and assemblies to implement the reservation.
However, opposition parties argued that the reservation should be implemented without increasing the number of seats. They also raised concerns that the delimitation process could benefit the BJP and harm some states.
Due to lack of support, the bill failed to get the required two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha.
Rijiju said the main issue is women’s representation and not politics. He also claimed that people, especially women, would not support parties that opposed the bill.
He further said that no one expected parties like Congress, TMC, and SP to vote against the proposal.
Apart from this, Rijiju also spoke about politics in West Bengal. He said the BJP is gaining support and people believe the party can improve the state’s condition.
He also warned that leaders who criticise Narendra Modi may face political losses, reacting to comments made by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Rijiju also rejected claims that AAP leaders were forced to join the BJP. He accused Arvind Kejriwal of controlling his party and said many leaders left on their own.
Looking ahead, Rijiju expressed confidence that the BJP will win the 2026 Assam Assembly elections.
