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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday expressed grave disappointment with "dynastic" opposition parties, expressing "shock and grief" over their behaviour in the Lok Sabha after the defeat of the 131st Constitution Amendment Bill on Friday.
The Prime Minister accused the Congress, DMK, TMC, and Samajwadi Party (SP) of rejoicing at the expense of women's empowerment, stating that their actions would leave a lasting scar on the nation's conscience. Addressing the nation, PM Modi highlighted the scenes within the Parliament, describing what he called a shameful display of disregard for women's rights. He noted that the opposition did not just vote against the bill but actively celebrated its failure. The PM stated that opposition leaders were "clapping with joy" and "thumping tables" as the bill intended to bolster women's welfare and reservation failed to pass. "... I was deeply saddened to see that when this proposal for women's welfare was defeated, dynastic parties like the Congress, DMK, TMC, and Samajwadi Party were clapping with joy. These people were thumping the table after snatching away women's rights...," he said. He warned that women across India would remember these leaders not for their policies, but for the moment they celebrated the blocking of their representation. "This was an attack on women's self-respect and self-esteem. And women forget everything, but they never forget their own insults. Therefore, the pain of the behaviour of the Congress and its allies in Parliament will always remain in every woman's heart. Whenever women across the country see these leaders in their constituencies, they will remember that these same people celebrated and rejoiced when women's reservation was blocked in Parliament," PM Modi affirmed. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also addressed the specific friction point that led to the bill's defeat: the Delimitation Bill. He accused the Congress and its allies of using "British-style divide and rule politics" to spread fear among the states. In his address, PM Modi alleged that Congress has "learned the politics of divide and rule from the British as its heritage" and is functioning on the same idea even today. He accused the opposition parties of spreading misinformation that delimitation would cause a loss to a few states. "Congress and its allies are continuously lying about delimitation. They want to fan the flames of division under this pretext. Congress has learned the politics of divide and rule from the British as its heritage. Even today, Congress is functioning on the same. Congress has always fanned the sentiments which create fractures within the country," he said. "So, misinformation was spread that delimitation would cause a loss to a few states. But the Govt has made it clear from the first day itself that neither the proportion of a state's representation will change nor will anyone's representation be lower. Seats of all states will be increased in an equal proportion. Still, Congress, DMK, TMC, SP and other parties are not ready to accept this," he added. PM Modi alleged that Congress "hates the topic of women's reservation and has always conspired to stop this". As the political fallout from Friday's vote continues, the Prime Minister's address signals that the defeat of the 131st Amendment will likely become a central campaign theme, framing the opposition as an obstacle to the self-respect and progress of Indian women. (ANI)
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