TMC for socio-economic development of women, against using religion

Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Monday said her party, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), was for the socio-economic development of women, but was against using religion in politics to get justice for them. Banerjee, who was commenting on the Opposition stalling the "triple talaq" bill following which the Rajya Sabha was adjourned, said her party was "totally in favour of women".

She said the TMC had 33 per cent elected women representatives and urged other political parties to follow suit. "We are totally in favour of women. We are for the socio-economic development of women. Women should not face any injustice. But if there is any politics with their religions, I think the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha members are capable of catering to the situation," she told reporters at the state secretariat. The TMC supremo said party MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay spoke on the "triple talaq" bill in Parliament on December 28 and said the bill should be sent to the Joint Select Committee. All opposition parties shared the same opinion, she added.

"Without the party instruction, he (Bandyopadhyay) cannot speak," Banerjee said. Elaborating on her party's support to women, she said, "It is only in the TMC that we have more than 33 per cent elected women members. I request all the political parties to give 33 per cent reservation to women. "In (West) Bengal, we have 50 per cent reservation for women in panchayat as well as in municipal areas," the chief minister added.

"If you want to give justice to women, you cannot be unjust to others. So, wherever justice is needed, we support the people, but wherever there will be injustice, we will not support it. We will fight it out," she said. Alleging that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) punished or penalised people whenever a certain issue did not suit it, Banerjee, a strident critic of the saffron party, said, "I do not agree with this."

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