Privatisation a way to end reservation: Priyanka Gandhi

Says all political parties started talking about women after Cong raised their issues

ITDC INDIA EPRESS/ITDC NEWS R Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, on Wednesday, attacked the government over "privatisation" of some institutions, saying it is a way to end reservation.During an interactive session with women as part of her party's "ladki hoon, lad sakti hoon" campaign in Firozabad, she said all political parties have started talking about women after the Congress raised their issues.

She also said the Congress announcing to give 40 per cent of tickets to women in the Uttar Pradesh polls is a big initiative. "If the bill on women reservation has not been passed in the Parliament till now, this move will ensure its passage."

The Congress leader was responding to a question about the fate of the women reservation bill. She took questions from a cross section of women during the interaction.

Alleging that all big government institutions have been "sold to the big industrialist friends" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she said, "It means that the reservation that you have today, will you get it in private jobs? This is a way to end reservation and this is not in national interest as most government jobs come from there."

She also said during her interaction with women at different places she found that most of them felt that they are being exploited.

The salary or honorarium of Anganwadi workers, ASHA bahus, Shiksha Mitras has not been hiked nor their services regularized, she said.

"When they ask for their rights they are beaten up. We have seen time and again that this government has rejected the rights of women. They are not able to understand the power of women."

"Their mentality and ideology is that they hand over a gas cylinder to you and think that their responsibility is over. How you will get the cylinder refilled or how you will be strengthened, get your education completed or get employment is not asked," she said.

"They think that by giving one gas cylinder you will give them votes, when they come to you in elections they never talk about empowerment or betterment. Schemes are announced but not implemented on the ground," she alleged.

"We have made a manifesto in which we have said we want to do for you in the field of health, education and employment. We will give jobs to 20 lakhs of which eight lakh to women, will work for your self-respect, security and for making you strong in a proper manner.”

Cautioning women against falling for caste and religion cards during the polls, she said, "When a leader knows that at the election time they will get votes on caste and religion, why will they work? They will only work when they know that if they have not done any work they will not get a vote again."