During a seminar organized by the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee titled 'The Women’s Reservation Act: Respect or Deception?', Congress leaders criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for allegedly politicizing women's reservation. State Congress president Ajay Rai pointed to a recent incident where three individuals associated with the BJP were accused of raping a student at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) on November 1, 2023. Arrests were only made 60 days later, raising concerns about the BJP's commitment to women's safety, especially in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's parliamentary constituency. Congress Legislative Party leader Aradhana Mishra questioned the BJP's sincerity in advocating for women's rights, citing their previous opposition to women's quotas in local governance initiated by former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. She also criticized the BJP for not yet implementing the Women's Reservation Bill, which was passed in 2023 with support from Congress and other opposition parties. The seminar also included tributes to Arun Kumar Singh Munna, a senior Congress leader who recently passed away.