Women’s Quota: High Drama At IMC As BJP, Congress Clash

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): A special conference of the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) on Saturday turned into a high-voltage political confrontation, as a routine agenda gave way to a fierce clash over the issue of women’s reservation and the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.

The meeting was initially convened to pass a vote of thanks to the Prime Minister, but proceedings quickly spiralled into chaos as councillors from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Indian National Congress locked horns over the implementation of the Act. The issue dominated the House, sidelining all other civic matters.

In a show of protest, BJP corporators, led by Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav, adopted a symbolic dress code. Most women councillors arrived in black attire, while several corporators wore black armbands. Bhargav himself donned a black shirt, underscoring what the ruling party described as a commitment to women’s empowerment and dissatisfaction with the opposition’s position.

Addressing the House, the Mayor accused the Congress of hypocrisy, stating that while the opposition claims to support women’s rights, it has failed to back a ‘historic reform’ in practice. BJP leaders asserted that the reservation law represents a landmark step towards ensuring greater political participation of women.

The Congress, however, strongly refuted these allegations. Leader of Opposition Chintu Chouksey clarified that his party supports women’s reservation in principle but opposes linking its implementation with the process of delimitation. He argued that the Act, passed in 2023, should have been enforced immediately rather than being tied to future electoral boundary changes.

The heated exchanges led to repeated disruptions, with members from both sides raising slogans. At several points, the situation became so tense that the meeting appeared to be on the verge of a complete breakdown.

CLASH AT THE COUNCIL

* The Trigger: Implementation of Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.

* BJP Stance: Accused Congress of hypocrisy; wore black attire as a symbolic protest.

* Congress Stance: Supports reservation but opposes the delay caused by linking it to delimitation.

* Outcome: House proceedings remained disrupted; routine civic matters sidelined.