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Bharatiya Janata Party Mahila Morcha
Bharatiya Janata Party Mahila Morcha
President	Vanathi Srinivasan
Headquarters	New Delhi
Newspaper	Kamal Sandesh
Ideology	Integral humanism; Conservatism; Hindu Nationalism;
	Politics of India; Political parties; Elections;

BJP Mahila Morcha, or simply Mahila Morcha (IPA: Mahilā Mōrcā, transl. Women's Front), is the women's wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of India. Vanathi Srinivasan, former Tamil Nadu BJP Unit Vice president and current Member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly from Coimbatore South state assembly constituency is the national president of the wing.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]

Vision

The vision of the BJP Mahila Morcha as stated in their website is - revolutionary and focused on making women the leading force of our development trajectory. ^[5]

To promote women-led development and work towards strengthening women agencies and socio-economic capacities
Increase access to safe and basic facilities in remote areas Invest in skill building and increasing employment opportunities for women Emphasize on equal opportunities for social, political and economic growth
Invest in skill building and increasing employment opportunities for women
Emphasize on equal opportunities for social, political and economic growth
Gender Equality to ensure multi-pronged holistic development
Encourage women higher education

List of presidents

The list of Mahila Morcha presidents from 1980 to present is given here ^[5]

Raja Mataji (1980 to 85)
Mridula Sinha (1985 to 91)
Jayawanti Ben Mehta (1991-95)
Mridula Sinha (1995 to 98)
Maya Singh (1998 to 2000)
Surama Padhy (2000 to 2002)
Kanta Tai Nalawade (2002 to 2004)
Karuna Shukla (2004 to 2007)
Kiran Maheshwari (2007 to 2010)

Smriti Irani (24 June 2010 – 24 April 2013)
Saroj Pandey (24 April 2013 – 21 August 2014)
Vijaya Rahatkar (21 August 2014 - 28 October 2020)
Vanathi Srinivasan (28 October 2020 - present)

Campaigns

In September 2019 the Mahila Morcha used the Durga Puja festival in a campaign to spread the BJP party's message to women particularly on Article 370 and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).^[6]

Controversies

In August 2022, Seema Patra, member of the national working committee of the BJP's women's wing, allegedly tortured a domestic worker named Sunita. Several videos that were circulated online showed Sunita narrating her stories. Injuries on her body were visible, she was unable to sit and her teeth was smashed. She alleged that her teeth were broken with an iron rod and that she was forced to lick urine, and clean the floor with her tongue. When she asked permission to go back to home, she was beaten up and locked. Seema kept the worker captive for around 10 years. When the video went viral, BJP suspended Seema Patra from the party, with Jharkhand BJP president Deepak Prakash ordering action against her.^[7]^[8] The next day, Jharkhand Police arrested due to the allegations.^[9]

References

^ "Akhilesh Yadav faces BJP Mahila Morcha protests over Badaun gangrape : North, News - India Today". Indiatoday.intoday.in. 2 June 2014. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
^ "Badaun Gangrape: Police Fire Water Cannons on Protesters". Outlookindia.com. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
^ "BJP Mahila Morcha protests against increasing number of rapes in UP". Business Standard India. 30 May 2014. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
^ Madhav, Pramod (20 July 2021). "Discussion on 'Kongu Nadu' needed, growth of area pending for years: BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan". India Today. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
^ ^a ^b "BJP Mahila Morcha". 27 April 2024.
^ Arnimest (2019).
^ "BJP Suspends Jharkhand Leader Over Allegations of Brutal Torture of Domestic Worker". The Wire. 30 August 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
^ "Jharkhand horror: BJP leader Seema Patra accused of torturing domestic help in Ranchi". The New Indian Express. 30 August 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
^ "Jharkhand Police Arrests BJP's Seema Patra on Allegations of Torturing Domestic Help". The Wire. 31 August 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2022.

Arnimest, Shankder (28 September 2019). "Posters, boat rides & tea stalls — how BJP plans to use Durga Puja to win over Bengal". ThePrint. Archived from the original on 29 February 2020. Retrieved 29 February 2020.
Kumari, Abhilasha; Kidwai, Sabina (1998). Crossing the Sacred Line: Women's Search for Political Power. Hyderabad: Orient Longman. ISBN 8125014357. OCLC 1129461055. OL 2309708W.
Singh, Pitam (22 February 2003). Women Legislators in Indian Politics. Concept Publishing Company. ISBN 9788180690198. OCLC 491611670. OL 3716171M – via Google Books.
Vajpayee, Atal Bihari Vajpayee (2000). "Women's Particaption in Political Leadership". Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee: Selected Speeches. Vol. 1. New Delhi: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. ISBN 8123008341. Retrieved 3 March 2020.