Mysuru:  Congress is the only party that has empowered women by introducing many schemes, said KPCC Working President Eshwar Khandre. He termed the BJP a communal party which does not want gender equality.

He was speaking at a programme organised for the induction of former Mayor Pushpalatha Chikkanna as City Women’s Congress President and former Mysuru ZP President Latha Siddashetty as the District Women’s Congress President at the Congress Office near the City Railway Station yesterday.

Pointing out that late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi should be credited for introducing various schemes for the benefit of women, Khandre claimed that the Congress has the distinction of providing reservation for women in every level of local bodies.

Asserting that Sonia Gandhi sacrificed the post of Prime Minister when she headed the Congress party earlier, he hit out at the BJP saying that the party indulged in horse trading for the sake of power. 

He further said that it is only the Congress party was working at the national level for the empowerment of women.

MLA and former Minister U.T. Khader said that hard work in the party’s organisation would be suitably rewarded in the future.

Stressing on the need for strengthening the party at the grassroot level, he maintained that the Congress party treats everyone with equality, without any discrimination.

Former Minister Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa said that Dr. B.R. Ambedkar tabled the Hindu Code Bill aimed at gender equality and women empowerment. 

But the Bill did not see the light of the day and Rajiv Gandhi, taking cues from the Bill, enhanced reservation for women in all sectors, when he became the Prime Minister after the death of his mother Indira Gandhi.

AICC Secretary in-charge of Mysuru region Vishnunadh, MLA Dr. Yathindra Siddharamaiah, MLC Dharmasena, former MLA Vasu, Mayor Pushpalatha Jagannath, KPCC Women’s Wing President Dr. B. Pushpa Amarnath, City Congress President R. Murthy, District Congress President Dr. B.J. Vijaykumar, leaders Manjula Manasa, Pushpavalli, Radhmani, Nandini Chandrashekar,  Kamala Anantaramu, K. Marigowda and others were present at the programme.