BJP trying to turn ‘nari’ into ‘nara’: Akhilesh in LS

Lucknow: Accusing the BJP of not backing women in leadership roles within its own organisation, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday said the saffron party was now trying to turn ‘nari’ (women) into a ‘nara’ (slogan).Akhilesh was participating in the debate on the women’s reservation bill in the Lok Sabha when he attacked the BJP for its lip service on the issue of promoting women and not showing any commitment to the idea in reality.“Going by what we are hearing on the issue, now the BJP is trying to turn nari into a nara,” he said. The former UP CM said a public perception was being created that SP was against women’s reservation, but the fact was that it was during SP govt that reservation for women was introduced in panchayat elections.“Socialist thinker Ram Manohar Lohia strongly advocated gender justice, and his principles have been an integral part of the party’s ideology,” Akhilesh said.He said the BJP, which never promoted women leaders in its organisation, and it now remains to be seen how the party will accommodate women with dignity and accord them the due honour.In an apparent reference to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Akhilesh said the BJP must make public the count of women on organisation posts in its parent body.He said the BJP was leading govt at the Centre for the third consecutive term, but India as a country stands at 127th position in the world in terms of gender parity and justice.“The BJP with its allies has govts in 21 states and union territories. They should tell everyone how many women chief ministers are there,” he said.“The only woman chief minister they have hardly has half the powers,” Akhilesh said, referring to the BJP CM in New Delhi.The BJP boasts of being the largest political party in the world, but not even 10% of its total MLAs and MPs are women, he said.