Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address the nation at 8:30 PM tonight, sources said on Saturday, a day after the Women’s Reservation Bill failed to secure the required majority in the Lok Sabha, triggering a major political confrontation between the government and the opposition.
The Prime Minister’s address comes amid heightened political tension after the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, which sought to provide reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, failed to pass in the lower House on Friday.
Women’s Reservation Bill falls short in Lok Sabha
The bill required a two-thirds majority of 352 votes in the 543-member Lok Sabha but managed to secure only 298 votes, while 230 MPs opposed it.
Following the bill’s defeat, the government decided not to proceed with voting on the Delimitation Bill and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, saying both were linked to the proposed women’s reservation legislation.
PM Modi criticises opposition in Cabinet meeting
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi chaired a Cabinet meeting in which he reportedly criticised the opposition for rejecting the bill, calling it a “big mistake.”
According to sources, the Prime Minister said the opposition would have to “pay dearly” for blocking a bill aimed at increasing women’s representation in Parliament and state assemblies.
He also reportedly said that women across the country would “never forgive” the opposition for bringing down legislation that sought to guarantee them one-third reservation.
Opposition alleges political agenda
The Congress-led opposition defended its stand, saying it supported women’s reservation in principle but objected to the way the government linked it with delimitation.
The opposition accused the Centre of attempting to redraw the country’s electoral boundaries under the cover of women’s reservation and argued that one-third reservation should have been implemented within the existing Lok Sabha strength.
However, the government rejected these allegations and appealed to all parties to support the bill.
PM’s final appeal before voting
Just hours before the voting on Friday, Prime Minister Modi had made a last-minute appeal to all MPs, urging them to support the legislation in the interest of women’s empowerment.
In a post on X, he said the bill was a “significant opportunity” to deliver justice to India’s women and urged lawmakers not to do anything that would hurt the sentiments of women watching the proceedings.
He wrote, “On behalf of our Nari Shakti, I also request all members not to do anything that may hurt the sentiments of women across India.”
Nation awaits PM’s address
With the bill’s defeat turning into a major political flashpoint, tonight’s national address by the Prime Minister is expected to outline the government’s response and its next steps regarding the stalled legislation.
