K Kavitha, a Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC and Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao’s daughter, launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday, claiming that the opposition in the country is “oppressed” and “harassed” for raising their voices.
Addressing a press conference ahead of her protest and ED visit, she said, “The double engine sarkar which actually stands for “Pradhani and Adani Sarkar,” works in the interests of only a few, and therefore the opposition is oppressed and harassed for raising their voices.” She said she will appear before the agency on March 11. “You can be assured of my full cooperation in the matter,” she said.
Kavitha announced on Thursday that a hunger strike will be held in the national capital on March 10, and that 18 political parties have agreed to join the protest to demand the introduction of the Women’s Reservation Bill in the current session of Parliament.
“Why does the government punish the common man with bad governance and policies? Today the land of Mahatma Gandhi, that of Satya, has become the land of lies. My message to the people of India is don’t give a chance to one nation–one friend government. Listen to the opposition,” she added.
Kavitha said, “The Women’s Reservation Bill is only a mere conversation in our country. After being introduced in 1996, it could never pass; 27 years have gone by and we are still only having a conversation.”
She also thanked Sonia Gandhi for working hard not only to introduce but also to persuade parties to work together and pass the Women’s Reservation Bill during Congress’s tenure. She also lauded the efforts of India’s former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
“Instead of talking about the Women’s Reservation Bill, everybody chose to consciously highlight the ED visits. These are shallow attempts by the BJP to divert people’s attention from real issues.”
The BRS leader also said that she will face Enforcement Directorate as she has not done anything wrong.
Further she said, “The Modi government made a promise to make the Women’s Reservation Bill a reality in its 2014 manifesto, but despite having 282 seats in the Lok Sabha, the ruling government kept quiet. In 2019, the BJP made the same promise, and even after 303 members in the Lok Sabha, no leader talked about the bill. The intent was always missing from the BJP’s agenda,” she added.
MLC Kavitha has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Murmu to make the Women’s Reservation Bill a reality with 33% reservation because the BJP still has sessions left before its term ends.
She said, “If the BJP could clear the Aadhar Bill in the name of the Financial Bill to surpass the Rajya Sabha, it surely could live up to this promise.”
The founder of Bharat Jagruthi, who is set to go on hunger strike tomorrow at Jantar Mantar to demand the Women’s Reservation Bill, said, “Today, in comparison to global parameters, India lacks both in terms of representation and a gender parity gap that has only widened in recent years.”
“Today even our neighbors are doing a better job in terms of getting more and more women into the legislative discourse, but not for the ruling government.”
Kavitha further confirmed that 18 political parties and women’s organizations supporting the bill will join tomorrow’s protest.
She said, “Over 500 people will go on hunger strike, and over 6,000 have confirmed their presence in support of the Women’s Reservation Bill.”
MLC Kavitha also addressed questions pertaining to the recent ED notices and visits.
She said, “Why was the ED in a rush to question me and chose a day before my protest? It could have happened a day later as well.”
“When requests were made, well within the law, to the Enforcement Directorate to investigate me at my home, they simply refused. If they can do this to a political face, imagine how much a common person, especially a woman, would have to bear with,” she added.
