The Women’s Reservation Bill, which proposes 33% reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies, has not been passed, keeping the issue politically charged. The continued deadlock has led to sharp exchanges between ruling and opposition parties.
Amid this backdrop, a controversy erupted in Mumbai during a rally organized by the women’s wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party, where a woman got agitated at Minister Girish Mahajan and even told him to “get out.” The minister later responded, saying such language should not have been used.
While taking on opposition parties, Mahajan said thousands of women came out on the streets in Mumbai, Delhi, and Lucknow because the opposition did not allow the bill to pass, leading to anger among women.
He explained that a large turnout at the rally led to traffic congestion in Worli, causing inconvenience. During this, a woman vented her frustration at him. Mahajan said her reaction was understandable given the situation, but the language used was inappropriate.
He added that even women from his side were angered, but he instructed everyone to remain calm. Police were present and managing the situation. He said he apologized on the spot and assured that traffic would be cleared quickly.
Mahajan stated that the woman misbehaved with the police and used inappropriate language. Despite this, the police showed restraint. He added that instead of reacting this way, a complaint should have been filed.
He said such anger during protests is natural, but assured that such situations would be handled better in the future.
Responding to opposition leader Vijay Wadettiwar, Mahajan said the opposition should introspect why they fail to gather crowds. He also remarked that some leaders prefer holding meetings instead of rallies, where public participation remains low.
