A day after the government failed to secure passage of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Act and the Delimitation Bill—which sought to implement 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies—Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the NDA remained committed to removing all obstacles in the path of this move.
Addressing the nation on Saturday evening (April 18, 2026), Mr. Modi launched a sharp attack on the Opposition, accusing it of “committing a foeticide of the idea of women’s representation before the whole world, via their opposition to the move”.
PM Modi address to the nation highlights - April 18, 2026
He said while the NDA could not muster the “66% support” in the Lok Sabha for operationalising women’s reservation on Friday (April 17, 2026), it had the backing of women across the country. “I know that 100% of women in this country were backing the move. I seek forgiveness from all women of the country. I want to assure them that we will remove every obstacle in the way. We are resolute on this, and our intentions are also immovable,” he said.
In his 30-minute speech, Mr. Modi criticised Opposition parties, including the Congress, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Samajwadi Party (SP). “When the Constitutional Amendment Bill fell in the Lok Sabha, these parties appeared elated and were thumping their desks. It was not an expression of joy, but an attack on the dignity and self-respect of every women in the country,” he said.
