Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday sharpened his attack on opposition parties after the defeat of the women’s reservation-linked legislation in the Lok Sabha, accusing them of blocking the measure through “selfish politics” and what he described as an “anti-women” approach.
Striking an emotional and combative note, PM Modi said, “Despite our best efforts, we haven’t succeeded… I apologise to all the mothers and sisters of the nation.” He added that while the bill may not have secured the required two-thirds majority in Parliament, he believed the government had the backing of “100 per cent of the country’s women”.
Calling the outcome a setback to women’s empowerment, he said the “dreams of Nari Shakti have been crushed despite our best efforts,” framing the defeat as a lost opportunity for expanding women’s political representation.
In his sharpest remark, the Prime Minister likened the Opposition’s move to “bhrun hatya” (female foeticide), saying parties including Congress, DMK, Samajwadi Party and Trinamool Congress had effectively “killed” the idea of women’s reservation at its inception. He said the events in Parliament amounted to “not just desk-thumping, but an attack on the dignity and self-respect of women”. “A woman may forget many things, but she never forgets her insult,” the PM said, adding that those who opposed the measure would be held accountable by women voters across the country.
The Prime Minister singled out the Congress and the Samajwadi Party for particular criticism, accusing them of a longstanding pattern of blocking women’s representation. He said these parties had “once again stood against the rights of women” and were guided by “parivaarvaad” and vote-bank considerations rather than genuine commitment to empowerment. He added that their conduct in Parliament would “not be forgotten by the women of the country”.
Expanding his attack, PM Modi accused the Congress of a pattern of delaying key national decisions. “Congress delayed border disputes with neighbouring countries. Congress delayed water-sharing disputes with Pakistan. Congress delayed the implementation of OBC reservation for 40 years. Congress also withheld the implementation of ‘One Rank, One Pension’ for soldiers for 40 years,” he said, adding that such an approach had “caused great harm to the country”. He further said, “History is witness that Congress has always chosen a negative path… whatever important decisions are necessary for the country, Congress pushes them under the carpet,” arguing that this approach had held back India’s development.
PM Modi also sought to counter concerns around delimitation, saying the proposed framework would ensure that “no state’s representation would decrease” and that seat expansion would take place proportionately across regions. He argued that the reform was designed to ensure balanced growth “across north, south, east and west”.
At the same time, he accused “parivaarvaadi” parties of opposing the measure out of fear, saying they were worried that greater participation of women would threaten entrenched leadership structures.
More broadly, the PM accused the Opposition of taking “women’s power for granted” and engaging in “selfish politics” driven by narrow interests, and directed his ministers to “expose” what he termed their “anti-women mentality” in public discourse.
Responding to criticism over the bill’s failure, the PM said, “Some people are calling the failure to realise women’s dreams a failure of the government. But this issue was never about success or failure or credit.” He added that he had been willing to give “credit and publicity” to opposition members if the measure had passed, but said those with a “regressive mindset” had remained opposed to granting women their rightful share.
Reaffirming his government’s commitment, PM Modi said, “I assure every woman in the country that we will remove every obstacle in the path of women’s reservation. Our determination is strong, our courage is unwavering, and our resolve is firm.” He added that “it is only a matter of time” before the quota is implemented, asserting that those opposing it would not be able to stop women’s participation in Parliament and state assemblies.
The remarks came a day after the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 failed to secure the required two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha, with 298 votes in favour and 230 against. The bill was intended to operationalise the 33% quota ahead of the 2029 elections by linking it to delimitation and expansion of seats.
The PM also reiterated that women’s reservation remained a long-pending right, saying it had been delayed for decades due to repeated political obstruction. “This is not about giving something to women. This is their right, denied for years,” he had said earlier in Parliament.
The Opposition, however, has rejected the government’s framing, arguing that it supports women’s reservation in principle but opposed the bill’s linkage with delimitation and seat expansion, which it described as politically motivated.
PM Modi’s address marks a clear pivot from legislative negotiation to political mobilisation. By combining an apology with a direct attack on rivals, the Prime Minister has positioned the issue as a broader ideological contest, seeking to turn the defeat in Parliament into a defining narrative battle over women’s empowerment in the run-up to the next general election.
