NEW DELHI: Seeking to ally apprehension of opposition parties over the delimitation of constituencies and the “proportionate increase” in strength of Lok Sabha to implement the Women’s Reservation Act from 2029 polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 16 said “whether it is the South, the North, the East, the West, small states or large states, the decision-making process will not do injustice to anyone” and there will be no change in proportion in the proposed increase in seats in the lower House of Parliament.
Participating in the debate on the Constitution Amendment Bill for early implementation of the Women’s Reservation Act in the Lok Sabha, PM Modi said he can give a guarantee or a promise about his remarks if the opposition wants, as the government’s intention is clear.
“I want to say from this House today with a great sense of responsibility that whether it is the South, the North, the East, the West, small states or large states… this decision-making process will not discriminate against or do injustice to anyone. In the past government that was in power, in whose time the delimitation took place, there will be no change in that proportion either, and the increase will also be in the same proportion,” he said.
“If you need a guarantee, I give you a guarantee; if you need a promise, I make a promise… because if the intention is clear, there is no need to play games with words,” he added.
Lok Sabha on Thursday took up simultaneous discussion on three bills for early implementation of Women’s Reservation Act. The government had extended the budget session and called a three-day special sitting of Parliament for the purpose.
The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 and The Delimitation Bill, 2026 were introduced and taken up for consideration and passing in the Lok Sabha earlier in the day.
PM Modi urged the House to pass the bills with consensus.
“This should not be weighed from a political angle. Those who are carrying half the responsibility of the nation also have the right to be here; we should not stop them,” he said.
He said ever since the discussion on women’s reservation took place in the country, and every time elections have come around thereafter, whoever has opposed this right being given, “women have not forgiven them”.
“In the 2024 elections, this did not happen, and it did not happen because everyone passed it unanimously then, so the issue itself did not remain,” he said.
“Those who opposed giving this right to women have not been forgiven by the women of this country. They have faced the consequences. If we all move forward together, this decision will not go in favour of any one political party, but in favour of the country’s democracy,” he added.
He said if there is unanimous support for the bills, it won’t go in favour of any party.
“It will go in favor of the country’s democracy, in favor of the country’s collective decision-making power, and we all will be deserving of that glory. Neither the Treasury Bench will be deserving of it, nor will Modi be deserving of it. Therefore, anyone who smells politics in this should take a look at their own outcomes from the past 30 years. Their benefit lies in this. They will be saved from whatever damage is happening. Therefore, there is no need to give it a political colour,” he said.
He said anyone who wants to move forward in political life will have to accept that over the past 25 years, lakhs of women have emerged as grassroots leaders.
“The leadership that has developed at the grassroots level among women must be recognised and taken into account. Therefore, those who oppose this today will have to pay the price for a long time,” he said.
Taking potshots at Congress over long delay in passing the women’s reservation bill during its rule, he said while they had been reservation in panchayati raj insitutions, there was reluctance to do so in institutions of decision-making.
PM Modi said that during days of his organizational work, he had come across discussions from women in rural areas that “when it comes to sweeping and garbage work, you (the government) includes us, but now include us in the decision-making process too, and decision-making processes happen in the assembly and Parliament”.
“Therefore, those who want progress in political life will have to proceed with the understanding that in the last 25–30 years, women have become leaders at the grassroots level. They’re not just here; they’re there too, influencing your decisions. Those who oppose this today will have to pay the price for a long time,” he said.
“In the last 25–30 years, among the sisters who have won at the grassroots level in panchayat election systems, there is a political consciousness. Earlier, they stayed quiet, understood but didn’t speak. Today, they are vocal. Therefore, today, whichever side or opposition there is, those millions of sisters who have represented in panchayats, who have deeply seen people’s joys and sorrows,” he added.
PM Modi urged opposition members not to look at the bills from “a political perspective” and said “this is a decision in the national interest”.
“Today, women across the country and the world will observe our decisions, but more than the decision itself, they will judge our intent. If there is any flaw in our intent, the women of this country will never forgive it. Today, I have come to appeal to you that do not weigh this on the scales of politics; this is a decision in the national interest,” he said.
He said reservation is a right of women and not a favour to them.
“Let us not remain in that ego that we are giving something to the country’s women power… No way! It is her right. We have been holding it back for several decades. Today is the opportunity to atone for that and attain liberation from that sin,” he said.
“As the mother of democracy, this is India’s cultural commitment… I served as Chief Minister for a long time. My experience is that a commitment to resolving sensitive issues proves beneficial. As experience deepens, its strength multiplies many times,” he said.
PM Modi took potshots at the opposition parties who are opposing the Delimitation Bill which is being discussed in the Lok Sabha along with the Women’s Reservation Amendment Bill, stating that some people think that he has “political self-interest” in the bills and that if they oppose the legislations, “it is natural that I will gain political benefit”.
He said there will be shared credit if the bills are passed and that he is ready for advertisements tomorrow thanking everyone, ready to get everyone’s photo printed.
PM Modi said that if the bills are unanimously passed, no one will gain any political advantage.
“Here, some people think that there is a political self-interest of Modi in this. If they oppose it, it is natural that I will gain political benefit, but if they walk along, no one will gain any political advantage. We don’t want credit,” he said.” As soon as this gets passed, I’m ready to run ads tomorrow thanking everyone, ready to get everyone’s photo printed. Take the credit…Whichever photo you want printed, I’m ready to get it printed at government expense,” he added.
He said reservation for women should have been given reservation about 25-30 years back .
“Today, we would have brought it to a considerable level of maturity. As needed, it would have seen improvements from time to time, and that, after all, is the beauty of democracy. In the life of a nation, there come some crucial moments, and the mental state of society at that time and the leadership’s capacity to capture that moment turn it into a nation’s legacy, creating a strong heritage. This is exactly such a moment in the parliamentary history of India,” he said.
The Prime Minister said India is the mother of democracy and Parliament members have an opportunity to add a new dimension.
“In this journey of development, we have been given a sacred opportunity to add a new dimension. We are fortunate that we have got the chance to include half of the country’s population in the decision-making process of nation-building,” he said.
“Let us MPs not miss this important opportunity. We Indians, together, are going to give a new direction to the country. We are going to make a meaningful effort to infuse our governance system with sensitivity. I am confident that the nectar that emerges from this churning will not only determine the form and nature of the country’s politics but also shape the direction and condition of the nation,” he added.
PM Modi also said that the vision of Viksit Bharat does not mean only good infrastructure or economic development and the government wants the spirit of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ to be reflected in the policymaking of a developed India.
“Fifty per cent of the country’s population should be made a part of decision-making. This is the need of the hour,” he said.
PM Modi said that in 2023, the Lok Sabha unanimously passed the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.
“A joyful atmosphere prevailed across the country, and no political colour was attached to it, so it did not become a political issue. This is a good situation. Now the question is, how much longer do we have to stall it?” he said.
“When we were discussing this in 2023, people were saying, hurry up. It couldn’t happen in 2024, because it can’t be done in such a short time. Now in 2029, we have time; if we don’t do it even in 2029, we can imagine what the situation will be like. The demand of the time is that we should not delay any further now,” he added.
Taking part in the debate, opposition members said they are firmly in favour of early implementation of women’s reservation bill but are strongly opposed to the Delimitation Bill and questioned the manner in which the seats are sought to be increased from 543 to 815.
They said the government should delink women’s reservation from delimitation and they would support the bill. (With inputs from ANI)
