Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on Saturday, April 18, 2026, following the defeat of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha. He described the bill's rejection as a "foeticide" of an honest endeavor and asserted that the government will continue to fight for women's representation.
- "More Chances" to Push Reform: PM Modi stated that despite the legislative setback, the resolve to empower women remains firm. He emphasized that while the government could not garner the required two-thirds majority (66% of votes), they have the "100% support of women" and will continue to push for the quota.
Key Statements
Modi labeled Congress an "anti-reform party" for historically opposing initiatives like Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, and now women's quota, calling it a pattern of obstruction. He warned that parties opposing the quota face electoral backlash from women voters, as seen with past opponents like RJD and SP.
Context on Women's Quota
The government introduced bills to implement 33% reservation for women in Parliament and assemblies by 2029, linked to delimitation but decoupled from the census to address southern states' concerns. Modi assured no bias in seat allocation and apologized to women after Lok Sabha rejection, directing ministers to highlight opposition's "anti-women" stance.
Criticism of Congress
He labeled the Congress an "anti-reform party," accusing it of a history of obstructing progress, spreading confusion, and blocking essential reforms like GST, digital payments, and triple talaq laws.
Apology to Women
PM Modi apologized to the women of India, stating he was as sad as they were that the bill, which aimed to implement the quota by the 2029 elections, failed to pass
Legislative Context
Increase Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816 to operationalise the 33% women's reservation before the 2029 elections.
Link the reservation to a new delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census.
The bill received 298 votes in favour and 230 against; however, it required a two-thirds majority (at least 352 votes) for approval.