New Delhi, April 18: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on Saturday following the failure of the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha. He expressed his disappointment, stating, “Today, I have come to speak to the mothers, sisters, and daughters of our country. Every citizen of India is witnessing how the flight of women’s power has been halted. Their dreams have been ruthlessly crushed. Despite our best efforts, we could not succeed. I apologize for the amendment to the Women’s Reservation Act not being passed.”
Modi emphasized that the country’s interests are paramount. However, when some individuals prioritize party interests over national interests, women’s empowerment and the nation’s welfare suffer. He pointed out that the selfish politics of parties like Congress, DMK, TMC, and Samajwadi Party have harmed the nation’s women. “Yesterday, millions of women across the country were watching Parliament. It saddened me to see those parties celebrating the rejection of a proposal for women’s rights. By taking away women’s rights, they were applauding at the table. What they did was not just a mere gesture; it was an attack on women’s dignity and self-respect. Women may forget many things, but they never forget their humiliation.”
He remarked that the behavior of Congress and its allies in Parliament will always linger in the minds of women. Whenever women see these leaders in their communities, they will remember how they celebrated the obstruction of women’s reservation. Modi firmly stated that those who opposed the Women’s Reservation Amendment are underestimating women’s power. “They forget that every woman in the 21st century is keeping an eye on every event in the country. They understand their intentions and are well aware of the truth. Therefore, the opposition’s sin of opposing women’s reservation will not go unpunished. These parties have also insulted the sentiments of the Constitution’s framers, and they will not escape the public’s judgment.”
The Prime Minister explained that the amendment was aimed at granting rights that have been pending for 40 years, with the intention of empowering women in the upcoming 2029 Lok Sabha elections. He described it as a sacred effort to provide opportunities for women in the development journey of India. “This amendment was a demand of the times. It aimed for equal growth of power across all states, regardless of their size or population. However, Congress and its allies have committed a grave injustice by obstructing this honest effort.”
Modi accused Congress, TMC, DMK, and SP of being responsible for this obstruction, stating, “These parties have a longstanding hatred for women’s reservation. They have always conspired to prevent it and have used various excuses to block women’s rights.” He expressed disappointment that Congress did not seize the opportunity to rectify its past mistakes and stand with women.
He noted that these parties have consistently used technicalities to undermine women’s rights. The nation has understood this political game and its underlying motives. The opposition to women’s empowerment stems from a fear that if women become empowered, the leadership of these parties will be threatened. “They will never want women from outside their families to advance. Thousands of women have proven their capabilities in local bodies and now wish to serve the country in the Lok Sabha and Assemblies.”
Modi concluded by stating that the women of the country will never forgive Congress and its allies for this sin. He accused them of spreading lies about the delimitation process, intending to incite division. “Congress inherited the politics of divide and rule from the British and continues to operate in this manner. They have always fueled divisions in the country, spreading falsehoods about delimitation harming certain states, despite the government’s clear stance that no state’s representation will change.”
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