BJP misleading on women's reservation bill: Harsimrat Kaur Badal

New Delhi: Shiromani Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the ruling BJP in Lok Sabha, accusing it of misleading women of the country by bringing a reservation bill for them that will take a long time to come into effect "You can do demonetisation in hours, pass GST, why can't you implement women's reservation bill... in the next election?" she said while participating in the debate on the Constitution amendment bill - Narishakti Vandan Adhiniyam-2023.

Badal also targeted the ruling party over its leaders being booked for crimes against women and the remission granted to the 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case in Gujarat.

"In the last five years, there has been a 26 per cent increase in crime against women. That is why an incident like in Manipur happens and the government opens its mouth only when a no-confidence motion is brought.

"A minister from Haryana is accused of sexual assault, but is enjoying cabinet status...," Badal said.

"Women wrestlers, who brought so many medals, have been sitting for months but the Bahubali is still sitting here," she said referring to former Wrestling Federation of India president and MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who has been accused of sexual harassment by several women wrestlers. The MP has denied the charges.

She also slammed the remission granted to the 11 men convicted for the gang rape of Bilkis Bano and the murder of seven of her family members during the 2002 Gujarat riots.

"The rapists of Bilkis Bano were called 'sanskari' (cultured) and were called on the stage and felicitated by their leaders...," she alleged.

"In this House, 306 MPs have criminal cases like rape, murder and kidnapping, 45 per cent are from the ruling party, and they talk about Beti Bachao," she alleged.

Badal alleged that the women of the country were being misled by the BJP government as it would take a long time to implement reservation for them under this bill.

"We were wondering why the special session had been called, agenda was not provided... What happened in the Cabinet was also not revealed. What was this shroud of secrecy for? Hopes were built and dashed in 24 hours," she said.

She questioned why the bill was not brought earlier by BJP and only at the fag end of its tenure.

Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal introduced the bill seeking to reserve 33 per cent of seats in Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women.