DMK Women's Rights Conference live: Conference concluded
Earlier, Senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi along with the party's General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra held a meeting with the party's Tamil Nadu leaders in Chennai.
Prominent women leaders of the INDIA bloc with TN CM M K Stalin at the DMK Women's Rights Conference.
CHENNAI: Prominent women leaders from the INDIA bloc have gathered in Chennai for the Women’s Rights Conference organised by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) today at the YMCA ground in Nandanam.
Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, former Jammu and Kashmir CM and People’s Democratic Party leader Mehbooba Mufti, and NCP working president and MP Supriya Sule arrived in Chennai on Friday.
Janata Dal (United) leader and Bihar’s Minister for Food and Consumer Protection Leshi Singh, AAP leader and Delhi Assembly Deputy Speaker Rakhi Bidlan, CPI(M) politburo member Subhashini Ali, CPI national executive committee member Annie Raja, and Trinamool Congress’s Sushmita Dev are expected to arrive at the venue.
The conference marks the birth centenary of DMK patriarch and former Chief Minister Karunanidhi.
The conference will be presided over by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin and will be chaired by DMK Deputy General Secretary and MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi. The meeting would be the first in at least five years when former AICC president Sonia Gandhi would be addressed on such a grand scale in Tamil Nadu.
Earlier, Senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi along with the party's General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra held a meeting with the party's Tamil Nadu leaders in Chennai.
On Friday, CM Stalin, accompanied by State Health Minister Ma Subramanian and party Deputy General Secretary Kanimozhi Karunanidhi inspected the meeting venue.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin addresses the conference.
"I am confident that the leaders of the INDIA bloc will stand for women's rights," Sonia Gandhi adds. She also asserts that the INDIA bloc's goal is to make the Women's Reservation Bill be implemented.
"Women's Reservation Bill is passed due to our relentless persistence, but it still a long way to go," Sonia Gandhi says and questioned the Centre on when the Bill would be implemented.
She adds that Tamil Nadu today stands as a beacon for women empowerment.
#WATCH | Chennai, Tamil Nadu | At the DMK Women's Rights conference, Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi says, "The Women's Reservation Bill has been passed... but it still has a long way to come. And when the bill will be implemented is our question...… pic.twitter.com/Odvg7KsYXT
— ANI (@ANI) October 14, 2023
Senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi addresses the conference.
Former Jammu and Kashmir CM Mehbooba Mufti addresses the conference.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi demanded the Centre an immediate implementation of Women's Reservation Bill and to stop glorifying women's tolerance on atrocities perpetrated on them. She urged the women who are 50 percent of the nation to check caste inequalities and injustices against women.
Senior Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi addresses the conference.
DMK MP Kanimozhi said Stalin's government has introduced women-centric schemes such as free bus travel for women, dole for women college students, and honorarium for women heads of families is reflective of the Dravidian Model government.
"Modi who speaks about 'Nari Shakti' has no concerns about women's issues", Kanimozhi added, saying that the Centre's visible disrespect for women could be seen in the way it treats President Droupadi Murmu.
Senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi arrives at the venue.