Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday hit out at the Opposition after the government failed to secure the required majority to pass the women’s reservation amendment and two other bills in the Lok Sabha.
In a national address, he accused Opposition parties of “selfish politics” and said their actions had denied women their rightful representation. “We may not have secured 66 per cent votes, but I know 100 per cent of the country’s women power is with us,” he said.
Targeting the Indian National Congress, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the Prime Minister alleged their leaders “celebrated” the bill’s defeat in Parliament. “They clapped when women were denied their rights. This is an insult to women’s self-respect,” he said, warning that women voters would hold them accountable.
“The women of this country will remember who blocked their rights and celebrated that moment,” he added. Describing the amendment as a long-pending reform, PM Modi said it aimed to ensure fair representation for women and could have been implemented by the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
“This was about giving women their due and making them equal partners in India’s growth,” he said. In one of his strongest remarks, the Prime Minister accused the Opposition of committing a “foeticide” of the legislation and said they had “betrayed both the Constitution and the women of India.”
Despite the setback, sources said the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is working on ways to revive the bill. The coalition currently holds 293 seats in the Lok Sabha — around 54 per cent — falling short of the two-thirds majority needed for passage.
The government, sources added, remains committed to pushing forward what it calls a key step towards empowering “Nari Shakti.”
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