Women’s Reservation Bill: PM Modi to Address Nation Tonight

New Delhi (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation at 8:30 P.M. tonight. Officials expect the Prime Minister to speak on the sudden legislative defeat of the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha.

The announcement follows a day of high-stakes meetings. Earlier today, the Prime Minister spearheaded a crucial session of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) to discuss India’s security and economic interests amid the escalating conflict in West Asia. Additionally, leaders from all political parties met with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla following the conclusion of the Parliament session.

The political atmosphere remains tense after the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill failed to pass the Lower House yesterday. Although 298 members voted in favor and 230 against, the Bill fell short of the 352 votes required to reach the mandatory two-thirds majority.

The proposed law sought to increase Lok Sabha seats to 850 and implement a 33% reservation for women starting in 2029. This expansion relied on a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census.

The BJP has labeled the Bill’s failure a “black day,” accusing the Opposition of betraying the nation’s women. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju warned that the Congress and its allies would face nationwide public anger for “permanently damaging their credibility.”

Conversely, the Congress and its allies argued that the government should implement the existing 2023 quota law immediately without linking it to delimitation. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor clarified that while the Opposition supports reservation, they object to the political redistribution of seats. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge further alleged that the government intended to use the Bill to alter the constitutional framework and centralize executive power.