MANGALURU
Tensions flared in the city as activists from the BJP Mahila Morcha took to the streets in a protest march. The group is targeting the Congress party following the recent defeat of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill in Parliament, a move they claim blocks progress for women across India.
The protest, organized as a “padayatra,” began at the BJP office at PVS Junction. Dozens of women marched through the city, eventually gathering in front of the Mangaluru City Corporation. Leading the protest, unit president Poornima Rao praised the BJP’s record on empowerment, citing the appointment of President Draupadi Murmu as a key milestone. She argued that the new Bill was designed to ensure more women could serve as MLAs and MPs, helping to balance leadership in government.
Rao lashed out at the opposition, alleging that Congress worked to defeat the Bill because they do not want to see women in positions of power. “The BJP will continue to push for the reintroduction of this Bill,” she stated, warning that a much larger agitation would follow if the government does not act quickly.
Local leaders, including MLA D. Vedavyas Kamath and MLC Kishore Kumar Puttur, joined the activists to show their support. While Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has previously questioned the BJP’s own speed in implementing such reforms, the protesters today made it clear that they view the current political setback as a direct attack on their rights and future representation.