Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the Opposition after the defeat of the Women's Reservation Bill in Parliament, accusing parties such as the Congress, Trinamool Congress, DMK and Samajwadi Party of denying women their rights for "selfish politics".
Addressing the nation a day after the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill failed to clear the Lok Sabha, Modi apologised to the country's women and said the Opposition had celebrated the defeat of a measure aimed at expanding women's representation in Parliament.
"I seek forgiveness from all women of the country for failing to get the bill passed. Due to the selfish politics of parties like Congress, DMK, TMC and the Samajwadi Party, the women of the country have suffered," the Prime Minister said.
The bill, which sought to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to fast-track the implementation of women's reservation in Parliament, was defeated on Friday. It marked the first major legislative setback for the Modi government since it came to power in 2014.
In the address, the Prime Minister accused Opposition leaders of applauding the bill's defeat in Parliament and described it as an attack on the dignity and self-respect of women.
"In Parliament, leaders of the Congress, DMK, Trinamool and Samajwadi Party were clapping in defeating the bill. They clapped as they took away what women of the country were entitled to get. It is an attack on women's self-respect," he said.
He further warned that women would not forget the conduct of the Opposition in Parliament.
"A woman may forget anything, but will never forget injustice done to her," Modi said.
The Prime Minister said the defeat of the bill was not merely a political setback but a betrayal of women across the country.
"What happened in Parliament was not just desk-thumping, but an attack on the dignity and self-respect of women. The conduct of the Congress and its allies in Parliament will remain in the minds of women across the country," he said.
Modi also accused the Opposition of repeatedly obstructing women's reservation over the decades and alleged that parties had distorted facts and used procedural tactics to prevent its implementation.
He said the bill was intended to give women their rightful representation and ensure that reservation could be implemented by the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
"This amendment was never about taking anything away from anyone. It was an act of giving. It was a sacred effort to finally grant women the rights that have been denied to them for 40 long years," he said.
Calling the move an effort to make women equal partners in India's development journey, Modi said the legislation was also aimed at strengthening representation from every region of the country.
In one of his strongest remarks since the bill's defeat, Modi accused the Congress and its allies of having committed "foeticide" of women's rights.
"They have committed an offence against the Constitution, against the womanhood of this country. The truth is, they harbour a deep-seated resentment toward the very idea of women's reservation," he said.
He also said he had hoped the Congress would use the opportunity to correct what he called its past mistakes, but had instead failed to stand with women.
Notably, the remarks came days before elections in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, where the Trinamool Congress and DMK are in power.