Bhubaneswar, May 1: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has announced a statewide protest, the "Nari Adhikar Abhiyan" (Women’s Rights Campaign), set to run from May 10 to May 25. The party is protesting the BJP government’s delay in implementing the Women’s Reservation Bill, passed in 2023, and criticizing the BJP's policies against women's rights.

At a press conference in Bhubaneswar, BJD leaders slammed the BJP for misleading the public and accusing opposition parties of being anti-women.

Senior BJD leader and Opposition Chief Whip, Pramila Mallik, pointed out that while the Women’s Reservation Bill had been passed in 2023, the BJP had failed to act on its implementation. She recalled how the BJP had called a special session of Parliament in a bid to pass the Women’s Reservation Bill, but tried to link it with the Delimitation Bill, an effort that failed when the bill was not approved in Parliament. Now, according to Mallik, the BJP is calling special sessions in state assemblies, making baseless allegations against opposition parties.

.Mallik accused the BJP of using rallies to portray themselves as pro-women while blaming opposition parties. She stated that women across the country are aware of the BJP's inaction. The BJD’s "Nari Adhikar Abhiyan" will expose the BJP’s failure and demand immediate action on the Women’s Reservation Bill.

“The BJP is the only party that refuses to implement the Women’s Reservation Bill unless there is an increase in the number of seats in Parliament and state assemblies. This reflects their male-dominated mindset and their anti-women stance,” Mallik said. To bring this issue to light and expose the BJP’s failure to act, the BJD will be organizing the Nari Adhikar Abhiyan from May 10 to May 25 across all constituencies in the state.