Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on May 26 launched a sharp attack on the Congress, accusing the party of being “anti-women” after Congress legislators briefly staged a walkout during a discussion on a government resolution supporting 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state legislative assemblies.
The resolution, introduced in the Assembly by Women and Child Welfare Minister Ajanta Neog, urged the immediate implementation of one-third reservation for women in Parliament and all state legislative assemblies following the completion of the delimitation exercise.
Tensions briefly escalated in the Assembly after BJP MLA Bhuban Pegu made remarks targeting the Congress during the debate. Objecting to the comments, legislators from the Congress and Raijor Dal walked out of the House while the chief minister was addressing the resolution.
However, the opposition legislators later returned to the Assembly before the resolution was eventually passed through a voice vote.
Participating in the debate, Sarma alleged that the Congress had failed to ensure the passage of legislation on women’s reservation despite remaining in power at the Centre for several years.
The chief minister further claimed that the Congress leadership had earlier backed away from the issue due to pressure and opposition from alliance partners such as the Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal.
Sarma also alleged in the Assembly that Congress legislators had been instructed by the party’s central leadership not to remain present during the adoption of the resolution. The Congress, however, did not respond to the allegation during the proceedings.
Highlighting the significance of the proposed reservation, the chief minister said the move, along with the delimitation process, would strengthen women’s political participation and also improve representation of indigenous communities in Assam.
Referring to Assam’s social and cultural history, Sarma spoke about the contributions made by women in different fields and said women continue to play a vital role in the state’s economy and development through initiatives such as self-help groups and grassroots-level participation.
The Assam Assembly later adopted the resolution supporting 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and legislative assemblies through a voice vote.