PRIYANKA GANDHI VADRA believes that the answer to the “hyper masculinity” of the right wing lies in an “assertive, hyper-feminine” movement. In an exclusive interview with THE WEEK, the Congress general secretary said that the BJP and the Samajwadi Party, both of whom she calls misogynistic, had been compelled to reach out to women because of the Congress.
As the party’s in-charge for Uttar Pradesh, she said that the Congress was in for the long haul in the state, and that she is currently building the party from the ground up. Excerpts:
Q/ What was the thought behind placing women at the centre of the Congress campaign in Uttar Pradesh?
A/ The women of Uttar Pradesh deserve full participation in the politics of the state. The percentage of women in the Vidhan Sabha is a dismal 14 per cent. Heinous crimes are committed against women, they are discriminated against, they are oppressed and not a single political party in the state takes them seriously enough to even propose an agenda for their progress, let alone implement it. The flagship programme the BJP has for women is that they handed them a gas cylinder for free every year! It shows their regressive mindset.
The women of UP deserve better and it is about time they are made to realise what a strong and effective force for change they can be. I am happy that through our campaign we have been able to bring women centerstage. No political party can afford to ignore them anymore.
Q/ It has been described as a desperate effort to look for a constituency since the Congress does not have dedicated support bases in the state. Your response.
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