Women fronts of some political parties had encouraged attacks on minorities during the 2002 Gujarat riots, noted social activist Aruna Roy claimed on Saturday.
"The divide of political ideology, caste and religion play a very important role in identifying how women function. That has been evident in so many ways. There were women's fronts of political organisations that encouraged the assault on minorities in Gujarat in 2002," she said.
Delivering a lecture 'The Feminist in Public Action', Roy, a National Advisory Council member, said women in positions also are corrupted by power though they should empathise with the marginalised and the oppressed.
"The fact is that women of particular castes are tortured, not just by women but by men as well...it is true that women in positions of power also succumb to the adage that power corrupts," said the activist in her Sumitra Chishti memorial lecture here.
Praising the UPA's flagship MGNREGA scheme, Roy, who heads the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathana, termed it a ‘success’ of political parties and of people in rural areas. "It is not the money but dignity attached to work. People in rural areas seek work first and then the money."
Admitting corruption was rampant in the scheme, Roy stressed on the need to strengthen accountability within the system by giving impetus to acts like the RTI which will ‘bring corrupt leaders to the book’.
"Transparency must be established when you work with public money," she added. Speaking at the event, Yechury termed feminism ‘a multi-speciality study’ which sees women as equal contributors towards development of the nation.