PANAJI: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday promised 30 per quota in jobs for women if her party came to power in Goa in the next year’s assembly polls. On a day-long visit to the coastal state, she claimed that the ruling BJP’s ideology was “anti-women”, and asked people to check the track-record of the new parties coming from “outside”.
“The BJP’s ideology is basically anti-women. Their ideology will never like that a woman would be empowered. BJP thinks that after giving a gas cylinder free or some cash, they have done their job as a government. But what they are doing is making women dependent and not independent,” she said while addressing a women’s convention at Margao.
Gandhi said that women in the country have now realized that it was time they spoke up. “That is why we have coined the slogan ‘Main Nari Hun, Main Lad Sakti Hun‘ (I am a woman, I can fight),” she added.
When there is crime against women in Goa, the chief minister asks ‘what were you doing on the beach till so late’, Gandhi said, apparently referring to a rape case that had rocked the state earlier this year. “Their (BJP) leaders are asking why are you wearing such kind of dress,” Priyanka Gandhi said, adding that it was the responsibility of the government to stop atrocities against women.
Gandhi added that wherever there is a BJP government, “the criminal is given protection while the victim is questioned”. A Congress government would provide a grant of up to Rs 1 lakh each to Women Self Help Groups besides an initial funding so that their business could flourish, and help market their products, she said.
Gandhi said that past Congress governments in Goa always respected people’s sentiments and de-notified ten Special Economic Zones as people were against them. Elsewhere, the Congress general secretary said some political parties spoke of things that were of no concern to elections and politics of the day.
Congress was the only party which spoke about development during election campaigns, Priyanka Gandhi claimed. She was speaking after activist and former defense officer Capt Viriato Fernandes joined Congress in Dabolim.
She also referred to Fernandes’ comments about the environmental degradation allegedly caused by the BJP government’s decisions in Goa. “We are talking about cutting thousands of trees. Double tracking of railway tracks that go through your forests and sanctuaries. We are talking about nationalising rivers that belong to states,” Gandhi said.
The BJP government is conveying every day that it has no respect for the people of India, people of Goa and the beautiful land, ocean and forests, said the Congress general secretary. “This government has completely forgotten its responsibility towards the people of Goa. It feels stronger responsibility towards its industrialist friends,” she alleged.
As to Capt Fernandes joining the party, Gandhi said when somebody who represents the voice of the people decides to join Congress, it is “a proud movement for us”. Earlier, Priyanka Gandhi visited Morpirla village in the Quepem assembly segment where she interacted with tribal women and also joined in their traditional dance.
“Many parties will come from outside. These days new parties are coming,” she said, in apparent reference to the Trinamool Congress and AAP. People should check their track record in the states where they are in power, she said.
“Have they done development? I am from Delhi, the AAP is from Delhi. There is so much pollution in Delhi that you can’t even breathe,” she said. She said that the Congress, when voted to power in the state, will reserve 30 per cent of the jobs “only for women”.
