- Prime Minister Modi criticised the Congress and its allies for blocking the Women's Reservation Bill
- He said the country's women suffered due to the Opposition's "selfish politics"
- The Prime Minister said the Opposition had insulted the Constitution by defeating the bill
Prime Minister Narendra Modi lambasted the Congress and its allies in his address to the nation on the Women's Reservation Bill on Saturday, saying they committed what he called "foeticide of this honest endeavour".
"Before the eyes of the entire nation, the Congress and its allies have committed the foeticide of this honest endeavour. Parties like the Congress, the Samajwadi Party, and the DMK are the perpetrators of this act. They have committed an offence against the Constitution and against the womanhood of this country," he said.
The Centre on Friday couldn't pass the bill required to amend the Women's Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha. The Centre needed a two-thirds majority to get the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, passed, but fell short of the mark. The proposed legislation saw 298 MPs voting in its favour and 230 voting against.
The government intended to increase the Lok Sabha's strength from 543 to a maximum of 850 and provide a 33 per cent reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. It moved three interlinked bills on Thursday in the Lok Sabha. After the Constitution Bill failed the Parliament test, it didn't put the other two bills to a vote.
PM Modi apologised to "all the mothers" of the country.
"Today I'm here to discuss an important issue, especially for the women of this country. Every citizen of this country is witnessing how women's progress has stalled... Despite our best efforts, we haven't succeeded. Amendments could not be made in the Nari Shakti Adhiniyam (Women's Reservation Bill). And I apologise to all the mothers and the nation for this," he said.
He said the women of the country suffered because of the "selfish politics" of the Congress, the DMK, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Samajwadi Party.
"For us, the nation's interest is paramount. But when some put party interests above national interests, then women and the country have to bear the consequences. This is what has happened this time as well. Due to the selfish politics of parties like Congress, DMK, TMC, and the Samajwadi Party, the women of the country have suffered," he said.
The Prime Minister said it saddened him to witness that the Opposition celebrated the defeat of the bill.
"Yesterday crores of women across the country were watching Parliament. The nation's women were observing closely. It saddened me deeply to see that when this proposal in the interest of women was defeated, parties like the Congress, the DMK, Trinamool, and SP, these dynastic parties, were clapping in celebration," he said.
He alleged that Congress had always conspired to stall women's reservation.
"Congress hates the topic of women's reservation and has always conspired to stop this...Whenever efforts were made in this direction, the Congress always put obstacles. This time as well, the Congress and its allies used one or the other lies to stop this...They tried to mislead the nation," he said.
He also called the Congress "an anti-reform" party.
"By opposing women's reservation, the Congress has once again proven that it is an anti-reform party. It opposes all decisions and reforms necessary for the Viksit Bharat of the 21st century. It rejects these and causes obstructions. This is the history and negative politics of Congress," he said.
