‘Distress address rather than national...’: Opposition slams PM Modi’s speech on women’s quota, calls it ‘sheer hypocrisy’

A day after the women’s reservation bill failed to pass in the Lok Sabha, Opposition leaders sharply criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his televised address, calling it politically loaded and inappropriate for a national broadcast.

Congress calls address ‘partisan’

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh described the speech as “partisan”, arguing that such addresses should rise above political attacks. He said, “This pathetic partisan and polemical attack – a Distress Address rather than a National Address - would have been more appropriate in a Press Conference. But as unhinged as he is by the extraordinary legislative humiliation he suffered in the Lok Sabha last night, the non-grihasthi Prime Minister is still too much of a coward to face the media.”

Ramesh also questioned the delay in notifying the law, adding, “His niyat is anything but saaf. It is poisonous. If one were to investigate his niyat, one only has to ask why the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, passed unanimously way back in Sept 2023, was notified only late at night on April 16 2026, after a delay of 30 months. His talking of mahila samman is sheer hypocrisy, given the way he has conducted himself throughout his life.”

Also Read | PM Modi blames Congress, allies, calls it ‘bhrun hatya’ of women’s rights after bill setback

TMC terms speech ‘dramebaazi’

From the Trinamool Congress, Mahua Moitra dismissed the address as political theatre. “Hello @narendramodi - Your dramebaazi & your Godi media script will not hide the truth- women’s reservation already passed in 2023 & notified 2 days ago. NOTHING stops you from implementing it now & giving 1/3 of 543 seats to women the way TMC has done,” she posted.

Her colleague Derek O'Brien alleged that women were being used as a “decoy” to push delimitation. “Narendra, the worst form of insulting women is to have used them as a DECOY* to try and pass the Delimitation Bill. *Decoy (noun): a thing or a person that is used to trick somebody into doing what you want them to do,” he wrote.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also aimed the speech, saying, “Modi ji mentioned Congress 59 times and women barely few times. That tells the country everything about his priorities. Women are not the BJP’s priority. Congress is, because Congress stands on the right side of history.”

Also Read | Why can’t 33% women’s quota start in existing House of 543? What govt, Oppn said and why OBC question stays

What PM Modi said

In his address, Modi accused Opposition parties of blocking progress on women’s representation. “I seek forgiveness from all women of the country,” he said, while adding that their aspirations had been “mercilessly crushed” despite the government’s efforts.

He targeted parties including the Congress, DMK, TMC and Samajwadi Party, saying they had “celebrated their selfish politics” at the cost of women’s empowerment. “The opposition has committed a sin by opposing women's reservation, and they will surely be punished for this. Opposition parties have insulted our Constitution by defeating the bill,” he said.

The Prime Minister maintained that the amendment was essential for balanced empowerment across regions and accused the Congress of divisive politics. “A woman forgets everything, but not her insult; this insult by the Congress and its allies will always remain in every woman's heart,” he added.