- Modi defends women’s reservation, urges against opposition.
- PM notes rising women’s political awareness and influence.
- Opposition criticizes linking quota with delimitation exercise.
- Parties strategize opposition to the constitutional changes.
PM Modi On Women Quota Bill: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday mounted a strong defence of the women’s reservation push in the Lok Sabha, cautioning critics against opposing the reform as Parliament began deliberations on key constitutional changes.
Speaking during the special three-day session, Modi framed the legislation as a transformative step, urging parties not to politicise the issue. “As a friend – I have some advice for those opposing this — Everybody who has objected to reservation of women in any field, haven’t been spared by women,” he said.
PM Flags Rising Political Awareness Among Women
Highlighting the growing influence of women in politics, Modi pointed to the shift from earlier decades when resistance to reservation remained confined to political circles.
“Around 25-30 years ago, whoever opposed women’s reservation, it was only within the political circles. It did not percolate lower than that. Now those women leaders who have won in the panchayat elections, other women are politically aware. If you oppose it now, they will not spare you,” said PM Modi.
He stressed that the proposal should not be reduced to a partisan issue, even as the debate in the House reflected deep divisions between the government and the Opposition.
Opposition Rallies Against Delimitation Link
The discussion unfolded amid a sharp political face-off over the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, which seeks to enable the implementation of the women’s quota law alongside a nationwide delimitation exercise.
While the government has pitched the bill as a landmark reform, Opposition parties have opposed it, particularly objecting to the linkage with delimitation. A strategy meeting convened by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge brought together several leaders to coordinate their response. Among those present were Rahul Gandhi, DMK’s T. R. Baalu, RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, Trinamool Congress’s Sagarika Ghosh, Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Sanjay Raut, Arvind Sawant and Supriya Sule.
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