New Delhi, April 9 Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha deputy leader Sagarika Ghose accused the BJP on Thursday of reducing women's rights to "rhetoric," and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of speaking about "women's power" while his party "lavishes praise on rapists."
In a post on X, Ghose also criticized Modi over his earlier remarks, including his "Didi-oh-Didi" jibe at West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC Chief Mamata Banerjee during the 2021 assembly polls.
"From mocking 'Didi-oh-Didi' to the crass '50 crore girlfriend' jibe, Narendra Modi now lectures on 'nari shakti'," Ghose said.
"A party that shields sexual assault accused, lavishes praise on rapists, and protects the powerful, even when linked via email to those convicted of abusing girls, has no moral authority to preach," she said.
Asserting that this was not empowerment but "election-time theatre," Ghose stated that the BJP has once again reduced women's rights to rhetoric, "humiliating women and destroying the cause of gender equality with its brazen hypocrisy."
Her remarks came as Modi on Thursday said that the proposed amendments to the Women's Reservation Act are not just a legislative exercise but a reflection of the aspirations of crores of women across India, and urged all MPs to come together to support this significant move.
In a signed article posted on his website, the prime minister also said that the initiative is an affirmation of a principle that has long guided India's civilisational ethos, that society progresses when women progress.
He emphasised that the 2029 Lok Sabha elections and the upcoming assembly elections in various states must be conducted with women's reservation in place.