"Eyes of the country's millions of women are upon us all": PM Modi urges Opposition to support Women's Reservation bill
New Delhi, April 17
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged all political parties to rise above differences and support the amendment to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.
He emphasised that "the eyes of millions of women" are watching Parliament as voting in the Lok Sabha draws near.
PM Modi said the debate continued late into the night and that concerns, misconceptions, and information gaps among members have been comprehensively addressed.
In a post on X, PM Modi wrote, "Currently, a discussion is underway in Parliament on amending the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam. The debate continued until 1 a.m. last night as well. Logical responses have been provided to dispel the misconceptions that were spread. Every apprehension has been addressed. The information that was lacking has also been provided to every member. Any issue that might have caused opposition in anyone's mind has also been resolved."
PM Modi said that decades of political delays on women's reservation must end, urging all parties to support the amendment to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam and ensure greater representation for women, as voting in the Lok Sabha approaches.
"For four decades, a great deal of politics has been played on the issue of women's reservation in the country. Now is the time that half the country's population must certainly receive its rights. Even after so many decades of independence, it is not right that Indian women have such minimal representation in the decision-making process," the post read.
"In just a short while, voting will take place in the Lok Sabha. I urge all political parties... I appeal... Please, after due consideration and with complete sensitivity, take a decision and vote in favor of women's reservation. On behalf of the country's Nari Shakti, I will also pray to all members... please do not do anything that might hurt the sentiments of Nari Shakti. The eyes of the country's millions of women are upon us all, upon our intentions, upon our decisions. Please support the amendment to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam," the post further read.
Lok Sabha is continuing its discussion and vote on the passage of the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, which provides 33 per cent reservation to women in Parliament and State Assemblies, along with the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) bill, 2026 extending it to Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir, and the Delimitation Bill, which is set to increase and redraw Lok Sabha constituencies, increasing them to 850.
— ANI
Reader Comments
While I support the principle of women's reservation, the timing feels political. Why now, just before elections? And increasing Lok Sabha seats to 850 seems like a massive exercise. The delimitation process needs to be transparent.
As a young woman from a small town, this gives me hope. Representation matters. When women make laws, issues like safety, education, and healthcare for families will get the attention they deserve. Hope all parties support it.
The PM's appeal is strong. "Eyes of millions of women are upon us" – this is true. We cannot fail them again. Politics should be set aside for this national cause. Better late than never.
Watching from abroad. This is a massive step for gender equality in India. The scale of the change—33% reservation and expanding Parliament—is ambitious. Hope the implementation ensures truly capable women lead, not just relatives of current leaders.
The bill talks about addressing "misconceptions". I just hope the reservation leads to merit-based participation. We need more women like Sushma Swaraj ji and Indira Gandhi ji, who led with ability, not just because of a quota.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.