Smriti Irani slams Opposition ahead of PM Modi’s address to nation, defends Women’s Reservation Bill

Ahead of PM Modi’s address to the nation tonight, senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Smriti Irani launched a sharp attack on opposition parties, accusing them of spreading “misconceptions” over the government’s 33% reservation for women in Parliament.

Speaking to the media, Irani said the prime minister’s speech would focus on the functioning of Parliament and the Centre's legislative intent, while also addressing the political debate surrounding the bill that failed to reach the 360 majority mark in the Lok Sabha a day earlier.

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"Today, the Prime Minister will address the nation. In his address, he will mention the system in Parliament and the government. In 2010, Congress was in power, and then the proposal came in the Rajya Sabha, then the BJP, despite being in the opposition, supported Congress in getting it passed... In the proposal made by the government yesterday, the Congress Party, DMK and TMC spread the misconception that the southern states will not get the right to equality... The Congress never wanted 33% reservation, not even when it was in power and not even when it is not in power," she told ANI.



The remarks come a day after the Lok Sabha rejected the implementation of the 33% reservation for women in legislative bodies, with the government’s legislative package falling short in a division of votes

Also Read | Opposition to urge Narendra Modi to implement earlier women’s reservation bill

The proposal secured 278 votes in favour out of 489 members present, missing the required threshold for passage.

Despite the setback, the government’s proposal had sought to fast-track the long-pending quota, aiming to make it operational by the 2029 General Elections—nearly three decades after the idea was first introduced

A key element of the package was a move to delink the reservation rollout from the census-linked delimitation process mandated under the 2023 law, a step intended to avoid delays that could otherwise push implementation to 2034.