PM Modi apologises for women’s bill failure, accuses opposition of ‘foeticide’ of rights

In a 30-minute address to the nation, the Prime Minister adopted a combative tone, accusing Opposition leaders of undermining women’s rights through what he described as “petty politics”.

PM Modi, in a politically loaded speech on the eve of high-octane elections in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, particularly targeted the Congress and other opposition parties, including Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Tamil Nadu's ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).

Modi apologises

Addressing the nation, Modi said he sought forgiveness from the country’s “mothers and daughters” after the bill failed to pass in the Lok Sabha.

He attributed the setback to the Opposition, naming parties such as the Congress, TMC and DMK.

He also included the Samajwadi Party (SP) among those he held responsible for the outcome.

The Prime Minister stated that the failure of the legislation had adversely affected women across the country, linking it directly to political opposition in Parliament.

Strong words against opposition conduct

During his speech, Modi criticised the behaviour of Opposition members in the Lok Sabha, alleging that they celebrated the bill’s defeat.

He described the events in Parliament as more than routine political disagreement, characterising them as an affront to women’s dignity and self-respect.

He said such actions would remain in public memory, particularly among women voters.

The Prime Minister also warned that perceived insults to women could carry lasting political consequences.

Slamming Congress as an "anti-reform party", Modi said, “Women have never forgiven those parties in elections which had opposed it (quota) and their condition has gone from bad to worse.”

Major parliamentary setback

The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, which aimed to facilitate the implementation of women’s reservation in Parliament by increasing the number of Lok Sabha seats, failed to secure the required majority.

The defeat marked a significant legislative setback for the government, being its first major loss in Parliament since assuming office in 2014.

Opposition raises concerns over delimitation

Opposition parties had argued that the bill was linked to a broader plan for delimitation, which they claimed could alter electoral representation across states.

They raised concerns that such a move might disproportionately affect southern states in terms of parliamentary representation. These objections formed a central part of their resistance to the legislation.

‘Foeticide of women's rights'

Modi used strong language in his address, accusing the Opposition of committing a “foeticide” of women’s rights by blocking what he described as an honest legislative effort.

He said the government had been open to accommodating provisions, including a proposal to increase parliamentary representation across states by 50 percent to ensure balanced growth.

According to the Prime Minister, the intention was to amplify representation for all states regardless of size or population.

However, he maintained that the Opposition’s stance prevented the bill from advancing.

'Got blessings of 100% of women'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that while the government may not have secured the required 66 percent votes to pass the Women’s Reservation Bill, it has received the “blessings of 100 percent of women”.

He described the ongoing political battle as one against what he termed the negativity of the Congress, adding that the legislation was never about claiming credit.

The Prime Minister stated that he had even expressed willingness in Parliament to let the Opposition take full credit for the bill.

Modi maintained that despite falling short in numbers during the vote, the government would continue its efforts to push the legislation forward.

The Centre failed to pass the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, in the Lok Sabha on Friday, as it could not secure the required two-thirds majority.

A total of 298 Members of Parliament voted in favour, while 230 opposed the bill.

The proposed law aimed to expand the Lok Sabha’s strength from 543 to a maximum of 850 seats and introduce a 33 percent reservation for women.

The government had introduced three interlinked bills in the House, but after the Constitution Bill failed to pass, it did not proceed with voting on the remaining two.