Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], April 20 : Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain has hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks regarding the Women's Reservation Amendment Bill, asserting that the Prime Minister is behaving like a "small party worker" rather than the leader of the nation.
The Congress MP further alleged that the BJP pushed the bill forward with the singular aim of acquiring political gain in the upcoming 2026 Assembly elections of Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
"... The Prime Minister is behaving like a small party worker rather than the leader of the nation. Holding the highest office requires dignity. It was clear they lacked the numbers and would lose the bill in the Lok Sabha, yet they pushed ahead only because elections are due in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, seeking political gain. The 33 per cent women's reservation was already passed in 2023. Congress's stand is clear--we support women's reservation. Implementation requires a census. Without this process, numbers cannot be fixed..." said MP Hussain.
Hussain's remarks came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday made a hard-hitting attack on Congress and its allies over the defeat of the Constitution Amendment Bill, saying they have committed "bhrun hatya" of the endeavour in the Parliament and will face punishment from people during elections.
In his Address to the Nation, the PM accused the opposition parties, including Congress, DMK, Trinamool Congress, and Samajwadi Party, of being scared that if women get empowered, the leadership of these dynastic parties will be threatened.
"Is imandaar prayas ki Congress aur uske sahyogiyon ne Sadan mein poore desh ke saamne bhrun hatya kar di hai. (Congress and its allies have committed feticide of this sincere effort in the Parliament before everyone). Parties like Congress, TMC, Samajwadi Party and DMK are responsible for this... They are the culprits of 'Nari Shakti' of the nation," he alleged.
PM Modi launched a scathing attack on Congress.
"Congress has lost its base in most parts of the country and is surviving by riding on the support of regional parties. Yet, it does not want these regional forces to grow stronger. By opposing this amendment, Congress has attempted to push the future of many regional parties into uncertainty through political manoeuvring," he said.
He also accused Congress of opposing every significant reform brought by the Centre.
"By opposing women's reservation, Congress has once again proven that Congress is an anti-reform party. Congress's anti-reform attitude has always caused immense damage to the country. Whatever decisions or reforms are significant for the Viksit Bharat of 21st Century, Congress opposes all of them. They dismiss them," he said.
Earlier, the Lok Sabha took up Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-first Amendment) Bill, Delimitation Bill, and Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill together for passing.In the division that took place on the Constitution Amendment Bill following the debate on the three bills, 298 members voted in favour and 230 against.
With Constitution Amendment Bill defeated, the government later said it did not want to pursue the two other linked bills.
The bills aimed to take the strength of Lok Sabha from 543 to 816 with 33 per cent reservation for women. The delimitation was to be carried out based on the 2011 census. The government said there will be proportionate increase in seats for all states.
Opposition parties said that they are strongly in favour of women's reservation but were against the Delimitation Bill. They asked the government to implement the women's reservation in the existing strength of Lok Sabha.