PM Modi flays Opposition for women's quota bill defeat

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday lashed out at the opposition for ensuring the defeat of the legislation that sought to fast-track the implementation of women's reservation in the Lok Sabha and Assemblies through delimitation and an increase in the number of seats in the lower house of Parliament.

In a special address to the nation, he held the Congress, DMK, Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party primarily responsible for the "foeticide" of the Constitution amendment bill aimed at empowering women, but also assured that women's reservation would see the light of day.

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Modi charged the Congress with being anti-reform and creating hurdles in any progressive programme his government initiates for the welfare of the people. He also targeted the DMK and Trinamool Congress, which are in power in poll-bound Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, respectively, as well as the Samajwadi Party for giving "primacy to their parties over national interest."

He maintained that the parties which opposed the legislation would have to bear the consequences as the women of the country would never forgive them. "The opposition will definitely get the punishment for the sin of opposing women's reservation," he said.

The Prime Minister expressed his disappointment over the proposed legislation not getting passed and underlined that every woman would feel the pain of this outcome. The sight of leaders who opposed the bill would invite the anger of women, he added.

'Anti-Reform’

Modi alleged that these parties were spreading falsehoods about the delimitation issue and engaging in divisive politics. The Congress, he said, had learnt the ways of “divide and rule” from the British and continued to practice it. He underlined that the charge of certain states losing their strength in the Lok Sabha due to delimitation was misplaced as it was made clear that the increase in seats would be proportionate.

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“The parties which have opposed the amendments to Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam are taking women’s power for granted… The primary reason for opposing this legislation is the fear of family-based parties that if women are empowered then their leadership will be under threat. They will never want women outside their families to grow,” he said.

Recalling the developments in the Lok Sabha, where the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty First Amendment) Bill was put to vote a day earlier, the PM said members of the Congress, DMK, TMC and SP were seen clapping and thumping the desks when the bill was defeated. “What they did was not just thumping of desks but an attack on the dignity and self-respect of women,” he said.

He assured all women in the country his government would strive to end all hurdles in the passage of women’s reservation. “All parties opposing women’s reservation will not be able to stop the increase in participation of women in Parliament and state legislatures.”

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“By opposing this bill, the Congress has once again proved that it is an anti-reform party. The anti-reform attitude of the Congress has always immensely harmed the country. Generations of this country have borne the brunt of every opposition, indecision and deceit of the Congress,” Modi said.

He also alleged that the Congress hates the issue of women’s reservation and has always conspired to prevent it. Every time an effort was made for giving reservation to women, the Congress stalled it, and this time the mask came off, revealing its true face, he added.

Listing the issues that the Congress had opposed since the NDA came to power, the PM said the abrogation of Article 370, Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the fight against Maoist violence were among them. “Congress engages in lies and creating confusion and sweeping issues under the carpet. India could not reach the heights it should have due to the Congress policy of delaying, creating hurdles, misleading people,” he said.