New Delhi, April 18: A day after the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill on women’s reservation did not pass in the Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday addressed the nation, criticising Congress, DMK, Trinamool Congress, and the Samajwadi Party over what he termed “selfish politics”.
Expressing regret over the outcome, the Prime Minister said it pained him that the Bill could not be passed and alleged that opposition parties celebrated its defeat while blocking what he described as an effort to ensure women’s representation. He said these parties prioritised their organisational interests over national and women’s interests.
“Women will never forget the opposition to the Bill by these parties and will teach them a lesson when they see their leaders in their constituencies,” the Prime Minister said. “Women have noted that these parties have taken them for granted,” he added, warning of political consequences for the Opposition over the outcome of the Bill.
He further said that the defeat of the Bill went against the spirit of the Constitution’s framers, adding that the proposal was not intended to take away anything from anyone but to expand representation. “The Bill was an attempt to give women their right before the 2029 polls, an expectation that has been pending for 40 years,” he said.
The Prime Minister also accused the Congress of opposing women’s reservation over the years and alleged that efforts to introduce such measures had repeatedly been blocked. The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, which sought to provide 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament, failed to secure the constitutionally required two-thirds majority. It garnered 298 votes in favour and 230 against, falling short of the 352 votes required for passage.
Earlier, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said that the defeat of the ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’ amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha should not be seen as a setback for the Centre or the BJP, but as a “huge blow” to the nation caused by Congress and other opposition parties.
IANS
