Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address the nation at 8:30 pm today, in what is being seen as a politically charged moment for the ruling establishment. Though the exact subject of the address has not been officially confirmed, its timing is highly significant, coming just a day after the Women’s Reservation Bill failed to clear the parliamentary test. The bill, which sought to reserve 33% of seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women, was met with strong resistance from the Opposition, triggering a sharp political backlash over the government’s approach and the package it presented.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi told his Cabinet that the Opposition had made a serious error by refusing to back the women’s quota bill. He said they had “let down the women of the country” and would “face consequences” for their decision. The remarks underline the government’s narrative that the Opposition’s stance is being framed as a betrayal of women’s empowerment, even as critics argue that the bill’s framing and linked proposals such as delimitation created division rather than consensus. With the Prime Minister’s address tonight, the focus is likely to be on pushing the government’s position on women’s representation and setting the tone for the next phase of the political battle over the bill.
