TMC MP slams BJP over farmers’ crisis, women representation
Rajya Sabha MP and TMC leader Derek O’Brien on Monday took on the BJP government over the plight of farmers and the lack of leadership opportunities for women within the party.
Speaking during the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address in the Rajya Sabha, O’Brien expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of farmers’ issues over the past five years.
“In the last five years, agricultural wages have grown by just 0.2 per cent. Two out of five farmers are in debt, with an average debt of Rs 7,500 crore. Thirty farmers commit suicide every day, and there is still no legal guarantee for MSP,” he said. He likened the situation to Bollywood film Mother India, which depicts farmers in distress and burdened by debt.
Turning his criticism to the BJP’s record on women’s representation, O’Brien accused the party of failing to ensure adequate ticket distribution for women candidates despite its advocacy for women’s empowerment.
“Sir, I am immensely proud that the President who read the address is a woman. I am proud that the Finance Minister who presented the Budget is a woman. And I am proud to speak on behalf of the TMC, a party founded 27 years ago by a self-made woman,” he said.
Addressing the treasury benches, he remarked, “My first message to this government is — stop talking about women, because your track record is pathetic. While some parties here are working towards increasing women’s representation from 14-15 per cent to 33 per cent, the BJP, despite all its talk on the Women’s Reservation Bill, has just 13 per cent women MPs.”
O’Brien further questioned BJP members on what was stopping them from allotting 33 per cent of their tickets to women candidates. Taking a dig at the ruling party, he added, “Forget about competing with Mamata Banerjee’s TMC, because the TMC has 39 per cent women MPs in the Lok Sabha.”
