Bhubaneswar: Governing Bharatiya Janata Party in Odisha organized a massive protest march called the Jana Akrosha Mahila Pada Jatra here on 22 April to condemn the blocking of the Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament.
Thousands of women from various sections of society participated in the rally, wearing black bands to express their resentment against opposition parties.
The march commenced at the Exhibition Ground and concluded at Lower PMG, where a street meeting was held and effigies of opposition leaders were burned.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida and BJP State President Man Mohan Samal graced the occasion.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi described the failure of the bill as a direct attack on the constitutional rights of women and the murder of their dreams.
He criticized the Congress and other opposition groups for treating women only as a vote bank while Prime Minister Narendra Modi remains committed to their genuine empowerment. The Chief Minister emphasized that a woman who manages a household is equally capable of determining national policy and urged women to continue raising their voices for their rights.
Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida accused the Congress, BJD, and other regional parties of being anti-women, noting that they voted against or hindered the passage of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.
State President Manmohan Samal echoed these sentiments, stating that the opposition’s narrow political interests had dealt a blow to the country’s female population, but the fight for 33 percent reservation in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies would continue.
During the event, the Chief Minister highlighted state initiatives aimed at female financial independence, such as the Subhadra Yojana. He also announced the upcoming launch of the Mukhyamantri Kanya Sumangala Yojana, which will provide 20,000 rupees at birth and over 1 lakh rupees upon graduation to support the girl child.
Party leaders declared that this protest movement would be expanded to the district, block, and booth levels to ensure the message of women’s empowerment reaches every village in Odisha.