Tumkur (Karnataka). Congress Vice President Sh. Rahul Gandhi, who is on a two-day visit to Karnataka,  addressed an all women  rally in Tumkur. While addressing the rally he stressed for increased women participation in politics. Rahul Gandhi also slammed the BJP  and said there is no space for women in it.

He said, I want to transform the system.  I will try to bring more women in elections, parliament and empower them. This is what I have been trying to do. If we are talking about the women then we need to remember Balavani Velamma ji and Chittoor Rani Chinnamma ji. I go to every state in India and I realise that wherever women are empowered there is development. This is the major difference between those states and other states. Where women are uplifted,  there is progress and where women are being suppressed development not talking place. We talk about superpower and want to India to become a superpower but until we won’t empower the women India cannot become superpower, it will be a half superpower.  I was sent to boarding school by my parents when I was 12 years old and a boy who was elder to me used to bully me a lot. Wherever I  to go there, I had  a fear   that he would come and bully me. After few years I became bold and he ran away eventually. The whole thing had changed ; whenever he saw me he used to run away.  I was very delighted that he wouldn’t bully me anymore.

When I started working in my constituency I came to know that women are being suppressed everywhere. Wherever you go you face discrimination. Many  women tell that they are being suppressed everywhere whether it’s in offices, buses or any other place. I want you to have liberty and happiness. I look forward for a day  when there is no fear in your heart whether you travel in buses, work in office or even walk in the late evening. I want you to get election tickets, your faces must be seen in Lok Sabha, Vidhan Sabha and Panchayat; entire India must feel your power.. Karnataka has shown the path to India, SHG has helped the whole country. I am running a SHG in UP and you have shown the path to us. Central government has worked for it too. We have brought the women reservation bill in the parliament and we will try to pass it. We want to bring women in the parliament. We have implemented 50% reservation in Panchayati Raj and that will be beneficial for you.

Our schemes whether it’s MNREGA, Right to information and Food security bill, all are aimed to empower women. We have passed a strict law against rape. We want to give you security with respect. We want to build nation from your power. The ideology of opposition doesn’t give any space to women in their organization. You know very well what their leaders and politician are doing. I want you join politics to cleanse the system. We will bring women forward and make them leaders in Congress party. We need to utilize your power and knowledge. You have come from far distances, thank you for coming here.