Mumbai: Maharashtra Congress women’s wing president Sandhya Savvalakhe said on Tuesday that the 6,700-km-long Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra undertaken by party MP Rahul Gandhi from Manipur to Mumbai is focused on five important issues of women’s empowerment including economic, social, political, educational and security.
Addressing a press conference at party head office here, she said, “If Congress comes to power, 50 per cent reservation will be given to women.”
She further said that women in the state were suffering due to inflation, so prices of other commodities including cooking gas should be reduced, she demanded.
Highlighting other issues that need immediate attention, the Congress leader said that they are equal opportunities, equal pay, improvement of condition of health centres, toilets for women within five km area, free education, justice for women and better safety.
Efforts are being made to highlight these issues through the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, she emphasised.
Drawing attention to rise in incidents of abuse of women under BJP government, she charged that government, instead of punishing abusers, they are being given protection.
It has been evident from acquittal of convicts in the Bilkis Bano case, Savvalakhe said that the BJP MP who allegedly abused women athletes, is roaming freely, she alleged.
Expressing serious concern over women’s safety in Maharashtra, she said that in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, a girl was molested allegedly by breaking into her house, as a result, it is not even safe for girls to go to school.
Taking aim at BJP, Savvalakhe also said that reservation for women announced by BJP is only on paper and no one knows when it will be implemented.
Whereas, the Congress party increased women’s participation in politics by giving them 33 per cent reservation, she added.
