The women’s wing of the BJP on Saturday held a rally protesting the passage of a Bill in the West Bengal Assembly allowing women to work in bars.
The West Bengal Assembly on Wednesday passed the Bill to allow women to work in bars by amending the Bengal Excise Act, 1909.
The BJP’s Mohila Morcha wing and supporters, including Union Minister and State BJP president Sukanta Majumdar, party MLA Agnimitra Paul, former MP Roopa Ganguly and other leaders, who held the protest march from College Square in north Kolkata to the Excise department headquarters at Bowbazar, raised slogans, “Ar chai na ai Sarkar” (no need for this government) and also burnt the effigy of the Chief Minister.
The rally, initially planned to reach the Excise Directorate Office at Bow Bazar in central Kolkata, was halted by police at BB Ganguly Street.
“We will not accept that our mothers and daughters will be made to sit in bars and nightclubs by the Mamata government. We are for empowerment and equality of women, but is the state of West Bengal ready for women to work such late hours? We have seen what had happened to the lady doctor in RG Kar last year , she was brutally raped and murdered,” Majumdar told mediapersons.
Claiming that the Trinamool Congress government was unable to provide job opportunities to women in the state, BJP women’s cell leader Falguni Patra maintained that this is the reason that such steps are being taken by the ruling dispensation.
Pointing out towards the safety of women, Agnimitra Paul told mediapersons, “There is nothing against women, the issue is the safety and security of women, which is not there in this State. The government should or0der the police to take the FIRs instead of protecting the rapist. They (TMC) should not do drama by just presenting the Aparajita Bill in the state Assembly. At present the condition does not allow women to work in bars and nightclubs in this state.”
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh hit out at the BJP saying, “How to empower women from the extremely backward areas has been shown by our Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee repeatedly. These are administrative decisions which they ( BJP) do not need to think about. We do not see the BJP Mohila morcha protest against their own leader Dilip Ghosh for his behaviour towards women.”
— wIth PTI