The recent address to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has prompted a substantial political backlash from Congress leaders, including president Mallikarjun Kharge. Following the failure of the women’s reservation bill in the Lok Sabha, Kharge noted that the Prime Minister mentioned Congress a total of 59 times while barely mentioning women’s issues. He argued that this ratio illustrates the government’s misplaced commitments to women’s empowerment.

Kharge commented that Modi’s focus reflected a lack of priority for women’s issues, which he believes should have been central to the address. He stated, “Modi ji mentioned Congress 59 times and women barely a few times. That tells the country everything about his priorities. Women are not the BJP’s priority.” This critique suggested that the Prime Minister’s speech was more an indictment of Opposition parties than a serious engagement with pressing women’s issues.

Address Criticised as Politically Motivated

In his remarks, Kharge further suggested that the nature of Modi’s speech strayed from the expected impartiality of a national address. He described it as a moment of frustration for the Prime Minister, who he alleged was unable to present meaningful achievements after twelve years in office. “A desperate and frustrated PM Narendra Modi with nothing meaningful to show for the last 12 years turned an official address to the nation into a political speech, full of mudslinging and outright lies,” Kharge asserted.

Alongside Kharge, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh added that the Prime Minister’s address failed to uphold the sanctity typically associated with such communications. Ramesh called it a “Congress-abuse address,” which, he claimed, did not foster national unity or confidence but instead reflected a need for partisan attack following legislative setbacks.

Ramesh challenged the governmental narrative surrounding the bill, urging the Prime Minister to accelerate the implementation of women’s reservation rather than linking it to additional proposals. He maintained that the speech represented a diversion of focus rather than addressing the core issues affecting women.

Manish Tewari Questions Use of National Broadcast

Congress leader Manish Tewari also articulated disapproval of Modi’s approach, arguing that it veered away from established democratic principles for national communication. He stated that the address was used primarily to criticise the Opposition regarding the defeat of the women’s reservation bill, rather than engaging in constructive dialogue.

Tewari emphasised that the legislation had been framed in a manner that extended beyond its stated objective of empowering women. He expressed concerns regarding the government’s utilisation of national platforms to confront political rivals instead of fostering cooperative parliamentary discussions.

The political friction resulting from the women’s reservation bill’s failure indicates deep divides between the Congress and the ruling BJP. The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill aimed to secure a 33 per cent reservation for women in legislative bodies but was unsuccessful in achieving the necessary two-thirds majority in Parliament. The contrasting narratives point to a broader conflict over the portrayal and significance of women’s empowerment initiatives.

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