This was stated by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan while speaking at a function organised by Mahila Morcha in Bhubaneswar on Saturday. The Bill, called as Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, will change the fate of the country, he said.

Pradhan said the BJP leaders and workers with the help of local organisations will organise awareness meetings in 50,000 villages. They will convey the commitment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to women empowerment. They will also encourage the women to come forward to participate in decision making process of the administration by becoming law-makers of the country, he added.

“At present, Lok Sabha has 81 women MPs. After the implementation of the Bill, their number will increase to 182. While the Odisha Assembly has 18 women MLAs, it will increase to 49,” Pradhan said.

It may be noted that the Bill to reserve 33% of the seats in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies for women received the approval of the Parliament on Thursday when the Rajya Sabha unanimously voted in its favour. The Lok Sabha passed it on Wednesday. It will now require approval of a majority of the state Assemblies.

Odisha president of BJP Manmohan Samal also spoke at the function.

As the first speaker from the Opposition on the bill, Sonia Gandhi said her party supports the legislation but demanded a reservation for Other Backward Classes within the 33% quota for women. She also said that speaking on the bill was an emotional moment for her as her husband Rajiv Gandhi had introduced reservation in local bodies.

Speaking in Hindi, the former Congress chief said, “On behalf of the Indian National Congress, I stand here in support of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam. From smoke-filled kitchens to flood-lit stadiums, the Indian woman’s journey has been a long one. But she has finally reached her destination.”