‘Dreams of ‘nari shakti’ crushed despite our best effort;’ PM Modi apologises to nation’s women- Top quotes | India News
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday said the failure of the Women’s Reservation Bill was a setback for women across the country and apologized for not being able to ensure its passage despite his government’s efforts.This followed a major setback for the government in the Lok Sabha on Friday. The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, which proposed 33 per cent reservation for women in the legislature and an increase in Lok Sabha seats to 816, was defeated. The proposal was aimed at increasing Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816 to implement women’s reservation before the 2029 parliamentary elections after a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 census. It plans to increase seats in state and union territory assemblies to accommodate the quota.
Top quotes from the Prime Minister’s speech:
- “Today, I have come to speak to the mothers, sisters and daughters of the country. Today, every citizen of India is witnessing how India’s dream of women power has been mercilessly crushed. Despite our best efforts we have not succeeded. For this, I sincerely apologize to all mothers and sisters.”
- “National interest comes first for us. But when party interest becomes everything to some people, women empowerment and the interest of the country suffers. This time too. Selfish politics of parties.
Congress DMK, TMC and SP have given value to the women of this country.” - “I was pained to see that when the Women’s Welfare Bill was defeated, parties like the Congress and the DMK clapped their hands and thumped the desks. What they did was not just noise on the table, it was a blow to the dignity of women.”
- “A woman can forget everything, but she never forgets her humiliation. The pain of their behavior will remain in every woman’s heart. Whenever the women of this country see these leaders in their areas, they will remember that it was they who celebrated the end of women’s reservation in Parliament.”
- “Congress and its allies are constantly spreading lies in the country. They are trying to use this as an excuse to fan the flames of division. ‘Divide and rule’ – this is the kind of politics Congress has inherited from the British. So this false narrative is being spread that some states will suffer due to delimitation. The government has clearly said that all states will get equal seats.”
- “After delimitation, there would have been more seats for women, and their representation would have increased. That is why they opposed the Nari Shakti Bandan Amendment. The women of this country will never forgive the Congress and its allies for this injustice.”
This is a developing story.
