Ivanka’s trip to Inida is over and she left Hyderabad today. She spoke about women empowerment and throughout the summit, there was focus on women-led businesses and women entrepreneurs. KTR, who hosted the sessions and facilitated discussions on woman empowerment impressed Ivanka with his spontaneity as well as knowledge. But he drew flak in one particular situation during the summit.

KCR’s cabinet has been criticized in the past as well, as he has not appointed a single woman in the last three and a half years, for a ministerial post. So when the same topic – “women in legislatures” was discussed during the GES summit, KTR could not hide his embarrassment. Later, congress leader DK Aruna fired salvos on the government as she spoke – “52% participants in the summit are women. But, there is no woman in CM KCR’s cabinet. What will the Chief Minister speak about women empowerment during the global meet when there is no women representation in the state Cabinet. It is ridiculous that KCR spoke about women empowerment, when the TRS failed to appoint a single woman Minister.” She also alleged that the government had done injustice to women in Self-Help Groups (SHGs).

But minister KTR later spoke about lack of women cabinet ministers in the government and said that “There are only 6 women legislatures.There are not enough women legislators and also due to some political reasons so that there are no women cabinet ministers and he hoped that CM would include some of them in next reshuffle.” He has added that “TRS supports women reservations in state Assembly and Parliament and we have urged the central government to bring the women reservation bill.”

Though KTR later remarked that their party supports woman reservation bill and he “hoped” KCR to add some woman in cabinet, as the saying goes, actions speak much louder than words. So not having woman minister in the cabinet was unexpectedly highlighted bringing embarrassment to the government that was burning the candles at both ends to make the summit on women entrepreneurship a grand success.

— Zuran