Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday will address the nation at 8.30 PM. While the exact reason has not been disclosed by the Prime Minister Officer (PMO), he is expected to address the Women's Reservation Bill that failed to pass the Lok Sabha test on Friday. After hours of debate and discussion, the NDA government failed to secure the two-third majority in the lower house to pass the Constitution Amendment Bill. While 298 members supported the bill, 230 voted against it, leading to its defeat in the Lok Sabha.
The prominent BJP leaders, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju slammed the opposition for not voting in favour of the bill. However, the opposition parties accused the centre of damaging the federal structure of the nation through the bill. They also asserted that the original bill, that was passed back in 2023, should be considered.
The prime minister has not publicly spoken on the issue yet; however, the people familiar with the issue suggest that the BJP is set to conduct ground-level rallies against the opposition across the nation, reported India Today. Earlier on Friday, PM Modi urged all the parties to vote in favour of the bill, adding that it will provide justice to the women of the country.
"I would like to appeal to all Members of Parliament…Please reflect upon your conscience, remembering the women in your own families. The legislation to ensure women’s reservation in legislative bodies is a significant opportunity to do justice to women of our nation. Please do not deprive our Nari Shakti of new opportunities. If this amendment is passed unanimously, it will further empower the women of our country and strengthen our democracy," the prime minister said in a post on X.
"Let us come together today to create history. Let us ensure that the women of India, who are half of the nation’s population, receive their rightful due," he added.