AS part of its campaign in recent elections, the BJP organised “Nari Shakti Vandan” programmes in various parts of the country in the form of women’s outrage rallies or torch processions.

In Uttar Pradesh, under the “Nari Shakti Mission”, letters have been sent by the Higher Education Secretary to degree colleges instructing them to organise seminars and various programs on “Nari Shakti Vandan” among girl students and to send reports along with photographs to the government.

The question is: what is actually discussed in these seminars? Is the false claim repeated that women’s reservation could not be implemented due to the opposition’s role? Is it not unconstitutional to use government institutions for political agendas? Perhaps under BJP’s  rule, everything is possible.

Similarly, MPs, MLAs, panchayat heads and even municipal councillors have been instructed to organise so-called “women empowerment” rallies in their respective areas.

After the women’s reservation bill was not rejected by Parliament, the BJP, as part of its planned strategy, took to the streets pretending to be the greatest well-wisher of women.

FRAUD OF ‘PROTEST’

On April 21, 2026, a women’s outrage rally was held in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. This is the same Yogi Adityanath who is generally known for his strict dislike of street protests and rallies. Yet on that day, women from nearby districts, including Anganwadi workers, members of self-help groups, government school teachers and schoolgirls, were brought to the rally, after being simply told that “Yogi Ji has called them.”

The entire city was covered with opposition-targeting hoardings. Along the nearly four-kilometre-long procession route, tents were set up at various places. Police security accompanied the march. Leading this so-called rally, were elite women from the BJP women’s wing who had never participated in any street movement. Slogans like “Bharat Mata ki Jai,” “Modi Ji, Yogi Ji Zindabad,” “Akhilesh, Rahul Murdabad,” and occasionally “Implement Women’s Reservation” were raised.

When some courageous journalists asked the reason for this outrage rally, the reply was that Prime Minister Modi wanted to pass the women’s reservation bill, but Akhilesh and Rahul did not allow it. When it was pointed out that the bill had already been passed in 2023, they had no answer and simply responded with embarrassed laughter and vague statements. They were not even aware of the issues of census and delimitation in women’s reservation.

This is BJP’s version of women empowerment—these women who take to the streets at the command of their leaders are slaves of patriarchal politics and have no understanding of real women’s issues. For the last 30 years, the women’s movement has been struggling for the implementation of women’s reservation in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies. These so-called “empowered women” of the BJP are not even aware that when the BJP had a full majority in 2019, they didn’t get the women’s reservation bill passed.

They are also unaware that before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, in 2023, the women’s reservation bill was passed in Parliament to gain political credit, but by linking it with delimitation and census, it was postponed indefinitely, while the opposition continued to demand its implementation in its original form.

SILENCE ON VIOLENCE

Women’s organizations had raised their voices against this government deceit, but when intentions themselves are flawed, what can one expect? The party that claims to champion women’s empowerment remains silent on criminal allegations against its own leaders and supporters, ranging from Singh, Asaram, Chinmayanand, Ram Rahim, Revati Raman Singh, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, and others. Later, these cases are either removed from public discourse by the state machinery and media or erased from public memory through new issues.

Women participating in “Nari Shakti Vandan” rallies have never been seen on the streets protesting against violence against women. Even during the violence in Manipur, where women were paraded naked by mobs, the women’s wing did not issue any strong statement; instead, those raising their voices were booked under legal cases. Today, with what face do they talk about women empowerment?

In the vocabulary of saffron politics, terms like “Nari Shakti Vandan” and “Matri Shakti” are frequently used, implying that women may be revered as goddesses but are not granted the rights of citizens. Under the guise of “Nari Shakti Vandan,” a dangerous political game is being played, which women must understand.

The Prime Minister says in Parliament that the opposition is creating technical hurdles in implementing women’s reservation, whereas in reality, these hurdles have been created by linking it with delimitation and census. How can the 2011 census be used as the basis for 2026? The political strategy being followed under the pretext of delimitation has become evident in recent elections as well.

The party that blames the opposition should explain how four labour codes and three farm laws could be passed using its majority, but women’s reservation cannot be implemented. In reality, the women of India must rise above this patriarchal politics and collectively demand the full and immediate implementation of the 2023 Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament and State Assemblies.