Mumbai: A woman’s angry confrontation with Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan over traffic chaos during a BJP rally in Mumbai has triggered a political storm, with the Congress attacking the ruling party for “inconveniencing” citizens.

The incident took place in Worli on Tuesday during a BJP demonstration over the women’s reservation bill. A video of the episode, which has since gone viral, shows the woman confronting Mahajan and blaming the rally for massive traffic snarls in the area.

“Get out of here. You are causing a traffic jam,” she said, questioning why the programme could not be held at a nearby open ground instead of blocking busy roads.

As the minister attempted to pacify her, the woman returned and continued her outburst, saying, “Did you not understand? What is wrong with you? There are hundreds of people waiting.”

When a police official intervened, she snapped back, refusing to engage and demanding that no one speak to her.

The BJP rally was organised to target Opposition parties over the defeat of the Constitution Amendment Bill aimed at fast-tracking the implementation of 33 per cent reservation for women in legislative bodies in the Lok Sabha.

The viral video drew sharp reactions from the Congress, with Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal alleging that the BJP’s campaign on women’s reservation had exposed its “real face”.

He accused the ruling party of misleading women for political gains and using the issue to push a “false narrative”. Sapkal also claimed the Opposition alliance had already thwarted “the BJP’s attempt to alter Constitutional and electoral processes under the guise of reservation”.

Former state Congress chief Nana Patole said ordinary citizens were being harassed due to the BJP’s “drama”, adding that the woman’s reaction reflected growing public frustration.

Joining the criticism, Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad said a woman on her way to pick up her child had to wait for hours because of the road blockade caused by the BJP programme.

“An ordinary woman in Mumbai confronted BJP ministers and workers and asked them to leave,” Gaikwad said in a post on X, calling it an example of “real women’s power”.

“People are no longer convinced by the BJP’s ‘empty rhetoric’,” she claimed, adding that “those who cannot solve public issues only create traffic jams”. She said the woman’s reaction reflected the anger of Mumbai’s citizens.

The BJP has been holding protests against the Congress and other Opposition parties over the failure to pass the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, which sought to provide 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies.

The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, which proposed implementing the quota from the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, was defeated in the Lower House on April 17 after securing 298 votes in favour and 230 against—falling short of the required two-thirds majority.

Opposition parties have argued that the bill, linked to a delimitation exercise, could reduce representation for southern states, further fuelling the political divide over the issue.