Mangalore, Feb 5: Women have been asked to take up the challenging task of spreading awareness at the household levels about the need for the Congress to be in power in the state.
All India Women's Congress Vice-President Maheshwari, inaugurating the women's convention of the Congress party in Mangalore on Tuesday said that if at all the Congress has to come back to power, then the women have a pivotal role to play.
Touting the Congress to be the only party which brought pro-women reforms in the country, she said that rural women today are self-dependent because of the self help group scheme brought in by the Congress.
“We have enacted pro-women laws with regard to dowry prohibition, prevention of exploitation of women by NRI men who marry them and then abandon them, besides others. After the Delhi incident, we have passed an ordinance which provides for strict measures and capital punishment for persons who resort to sexual assault and rape in rarest of rare cases. What has the BJP done for women? The contribution of the NDA government in this regard was zero. It only wants to politicize issues and has no concern for women”, Ms. Maheshwari said.
Heaping praises on AICC Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Ms. Maheshwari said that it was her initiative that helped women's reservation in local bodies swell to 50% from the 33% proposed by Rajiv Gandhi.
“Ms. Gandhi and the UPA government have done a lot for women. The only way to reciprocate to this help is by strengthening Sonia and Rahul Gandhi. Women activists must go from house to house creating awareness about the contributions of the Congress party and help the party regain power in the state. It is women who need to ensure that the BJP packs its bags and goes home”, she said.
Janardhana Poojary, former minister, sharing his thoughts said that Sonia Gandhi has led the way in showing Congress activists the concept of sacrifice. “She sacrificed the post of Prime Minister when it was offered. Congress activists must learn to sacrifice and not vie for posts and authority”, Mr. Poojary said.
The senior leader urged women present in the gathering to guide their children in the right path so that they do not get “brainwashed” by RSS ideology. “Our youth are molesting and assaulting women. It is always the 'shudra' youth who get arrested. None of the Brahmin or Konkani youth will be put behind bars. Women have to guide their sons in the right path and teach them to respect women”, he said.
Mr. Poojary slammed RSS chief Mohan Bhagawat for not uttering even a single word against the hooligans who executed the home stay attack.
Gulzar Banu, Mayor, MCC, Manjula Naidu, President, Karnataka Mahila Congress, B K Taradevi, Former MP, U T Khader, MLA, B Ramanath Rai, District President, Congress, Mamatha Gatty, President, DK Mahila Congress, Veronica, President, Udupi District Mahila Congress, Kripa Amar Alva and other members of the women's Congress were among those present.
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