PM Modi Hits Out At Opposition Over Women's Reservation Bill, Says 'They Made A Mistake'

New Delhi: On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed his disappointment regarding the Lok Sabha's rejection of the Constitution (131st) Amendment Bill, stating that the opposition parties would "regret for the rest of their lives" for failing to back the women’s reservation bill.

PM Modi remarked during a cabinet meeting that the opposition must confront the repercussions and respond to the women. "They have disappointed the women of the nation". "This message needs to reach each individual and every village," the prime minister added, as per reports.

Opposition parties previously stated their backing for women's reservation in parliament but deemed the government's stance politically driven. Opposition worries existed that after delimitation, the southern states might experience a decrease in their parliamentary representation.

PM Modi expressed his comments during the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting conducted at Parliament House in Delhi.

Meanwhile, Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh criticised the Congress, alleging that it had "struck down" Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts for women's empowerment.

"Saying that the bill not being passed is a historic, what the Congress is trying to say is that they have struck down the PM's efforts for women's empowerment... this is the character of the Congress," said Singh.

BJP leaders launched a strong counterattack against the Opposition over the bill's failure. BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal expressed confidence that women across the country would pressure opposition MPs into passing the bill within the next three months.

"We will take to the streets and explain to women how opposition parties have blocked their rights in the Lok Sabha. We are fully confident that the women of the country will pressure the opposition MPs so much that within the next 3 months, getting this bill passed will become their compulsion," Jaiswal told ANI.

The BJP has accused opposition parties of blocking a historic reform aimed at ensuring 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies. Union Home Minister Amit Shah alleged that parties like Congress, TMC, and others prevented the passage of the bill and warned of political consequences.

However, the opposition has maintained that it supports women's reservation in principle but opposes linking it with delimitation and census processes. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, described the bill as an attempt to alter India's electoral structure, while several Congress leaders termed the vote a defence of democratic values.