PANAJI: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi made a pitch for women to be given tickets to contest elections, stating that women are practical and can end the current hate-filled politics. Gandhi said that if women comprise half of the population, 50% representation should be given to women.
Speaking in jest, Gandhi turned to state Congress functionaries and said that she needs to “convince these men” about selecting women candidates.
“As women are 50% of the population, it is a right to have 50% of the representation, and it’s not something anybody is doing us as a favour,” she said.
Pointing out that there has been a sharp rise and crime against women in Goa, Gandhi stressed on the need to bring more women into policy making. “A minister in one of these cases blames the girl for the violence that happened against her. And this is typical of a mindset that is unaccepting of the truth, unaccepting of the fact that women are equal. You know that I have been working very hard to bring women into the political process,” Gandhi said.
She also said that women could bring positivity and compassion into national politics. “Politics has become filled with hatred. It’s become filled with anger. I firmly believe that women, being the practical people that we are, and having to always handle so much, actually can bring that positivity that compassion into politics, as well,” said Gandhi.
“Maybe after my work in UP is done I should come here, work hard at convincing these men,” she said in jest.
