Responding to PM Narendra Modi’s national address Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge hit back, saying, “A desperate and frustrated Prime Minister, with nothing meaningful to show for the last 12 years, turned an official address to the nation into a political speech full of mudslinging and outright lies.”
“The model code of conduct is in place and it was very clear how PM Modi misused official machinery to attack his opponents. This is a travesty of democracy and the Constitution of India,” Kharge said in a post on X.
Meanwhile, Congress described PM Modi’s speech “a distress address rather than a national address”, claiming he was “unhinged” after the defeat of the bill.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said PM Modi should have apologised for “his shameless, deceitful attempts to push through a devious delimitation proposal in the name of women. His ‘niyat’ (intent) is anything but saaf (clean). It is poisonous”.
Jairam Ramesh said PM Modi should explain why the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, passed in September 2023, was notified only late on the night of April 16 after a delay of 30 months.
“His talking of mahila samman is sheer hypocrisy given the way he has conducted himself throughout his life. What the PM attempted in the Lok Sabha yesterday — a weakening of our democracy and our federalism, was exactly the sort of attack on the Constitution that was anticipated when the PM called for ‘400 paar’ in the run-up to the 2024 LS elections,” Ramesh said.
Congress leader also said, “What the Prime Minister tried to do in the Lok Sabha yesterday was to weaken our democracy and federal structure. This was the very danger that had been anticipated even when he raised the slogan of ‘400 paar’ before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Invoking the legacy of the Constitution makers only makes his hypocrisy even clearer.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation at 8:30 PM on Saturday, a day after the Women’s Reservation Bill was defeated in Lok Sabha on Friday, while strongly criticising the Opposition for what he called their “hatred and petty politics.”
In his address, PM Modi apologised to the nation’s “mothers and daughters.”
Prime Minister strongly criticised the opposition, specifically naming the Congress, TMC, and DMK, saying they celebrated after the bill failed to pass in the Lok Sabha.
While slamming the opposition parties over the bill, PM Modi said these parties committed “foeticide” against the ‘Nari Shakti Vandan’ Amendment, a landmark legislation aimed at empowering women in Indian politics.
Addressing the nation, PM Modi said these parties have even insulted the Constitution. This Bill was not intended to take anything away from anyone; rather, the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam was designed to give something to everyone.
PM Modi further alleged that these parties acted against the spirit of the Constitution and the interests of women by obstructing the Bill.
PM Modi specifically launched attack on Congress party and called it an ‘anti-reform party’, while accusing it of delaying key reforms while in power.
