New Delhi: Opposition leaders hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday after his address to the nation and the high-stakes defeat of the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha. He issued a rare apology to the “mothers and sisters” of India but he didn’t stop there.
PM Modi went on a full-scale offensive accusing the Opposition specifically the Congress, TMC, and DMK of committing “foeticide” by blocking the quota bill.
The Prime Minister’s tone was one of deep frustration. He argued that the dreams of “women power” were “crushed mercilessly” by selfish party politics. He added that the 131st Amendment Bill wasn’t just about the 33% quota rather it was a roadmap to expanding the Lok Sabha to 816 seats by 2029.
It was a heavy-hitting speech at opposition and they hit back just as hard, calling the PM’s bluff and labelled the speech a “distress address” rather than a national one.
“Shameless and deceitful”: Opposition tears into PM on X
A sitting Prime Minister’s address to the nation has a sanctity to it. It is meant to be a non-partisan address intended to build national resolve and confidence. This pathetic partisan and polemical attack – a Distress Address rather than a National Address – would have been…
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) April 18, 2026
Narendra, the worst form of insulting women is to have used them as a DECOY* to try and pass the Delimitation Bill.
*Decoy (noun) : a thing or a person that is used to trick somebody into doing what you want them to do
— Derek O’Brien | ডেরেক ও’ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) April 18, 2026
Hello @narendramodi – Your dramebaazi & your Godi media script will not hide truth- women’s reservation already passed in 2023 & notified 2 days ago. NOTHING stops you from implementing it now & giving 1/3 of 543 seats to women the way TMC has done.
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) April 18, 2026
PM Modi on Constitution 131st Amendment bill defeat
He termed the defeat of the women reservation bill as a major setback for women nationwide. The bill sought 33% reservation for women and an overall expansion of seats to 816 ahead of the 2029 polls
The Prime Minister added that the national interest comes first for them but for some people when party interest becomes everything then women’s empowerment and the nation’s interest suffer.
As both sides dig in their heels, the “foeticide” vs “deception” debate is going to be there and might get louder in the days to come.