New Delhi (India) April 18:Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation at 8:30 PM today. The decision to do so comes a day after the women's reservation bill was defeated in the Lok Sabha. Modi earlier on Saturday convened a cabinet meeting wherein he rebuked the opposition for its stand against the women's reservation bill.He stated that the bill would have strengthened women's position in the country by providing reservations to women in the Lok Sabha and the state assemblies. 

Modi's Appeal on Social Media

PM Modi expressed his views on the proposed legislation which aimed at strengthening women's participation and enhancing democracy in the country by enacting laws based on unanimous consent. 

"On behalf of our Nari Shakti, I also request all members not to do anything that may hurt the sentiments of women across India. Crores of women are watching us…our intent and our decisions. I once again request that everyone support the amendments to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam," Modi posted on social media platform X.

Opposition's Stand on the Bill

The opposition led by the Congress alleged that the bill was designed to alter India's electoral map through delimitations. Women's reservation is a worthy goal but this is not the right approach to implementing it. We favor one-third reservation in the current Lok Sabha for women, they stated. However, the government dismissed the allegations and implored the opposition to support the bill. In a last-minute appeal to all members of Parliament before the voting on Friday, the prime minister urged them to consult their conscience as the bill represented a significant opportunity to secure justice for India's women. 

Bill's Key Proposal

The bill, constitutionally designated as the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill and connected to the women's reservation clause, required a two-third majority to pass the lower House with 352 votes in its favor out of 543. The bill, however, only garnered 298 votes in support, with 230 MPs voting against it. Following the failure of this bill, the government abstained from proceeding with votes on the Delimitation Bill and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, as they were linked to the initial women's reservation bill.