Team Herald
MARGAO: Former TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai on Wednesday accused the State BJP government of insulting the women of Goa during the auspicious Navaratri celebration revering women power.
He was speaking over the non-inclusion of MMC Chairperson Babita Angle or any women in the reconstituted South Goa Planning and Development Authority (SGPDA) Committee.
Former TCP Minister and President of Goa Forward Party accused the BJP of gender bias.
He said, “During the Navaratri, a Hindu nationalist party, has insulted women in Goa and even Durga Mata, who is revered during this period, will not forgive them for this.
“The gender bias in the PDA reconstitution negates the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s gender equality tirade which he is going about telling all over the world that in India both sexes have equal respect,” he said.
“If you remove the opportunities of women power how will they prosper? They have taken councillors of MMC on board but haven’t included even one of their women councillors in PDA,” said Vijai.
Goa Women Forward General Secretary Sampada Pednekar and Dr Lorraine Dias Benjamin also criticised the move of the government and TCP Department.
“As per the notification of the TCP Department, there is no woman member in the committee. The MMC Chairperson has always been a part of this committee but not in this one. Is it because a woman taking the seat of a member,” asked Sampada.
“At least one woman from BJP women organisation or even the wife of TCP Minister or any woman councillor of MMC could have been being part of the SGPDA Committee,” said Sampada.
