Women’s Pride Cannot Be Ignored: PM Modi on Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on Saturday on the issue of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam Amendment, expressing deep regret over its failure to pass and reaffirming the government’s commitment to women’s empowerment.
Calling the development unfortunate, the Prime Minister apologised to the women of the country. “I deeply apologize to all the mothers and sisters of the nation for this unfortunate outcome,” he said, adding that the setback has stalled the aspirations of millions of women.
Emphasising the emotional and social impact of the development, the Prime Minister said, “Women may forget everything else, but they never forget an insult to their pride.” He described the failure of the bill as a blow to the dignity and self-respect of women across the country.
The Prime Minister termed the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam Amendment a transformative step aimed at ensuring equal participation of women in India’s democratic framework. “This amendment was a sincere effort to make women equal co-travelers in India’s development journey,” he said, describing it as a ‘Mahayagya’ for empowering women in the 21st century.
Criticising opposition parties, the Prime Minister said that those who opposed the legislation were “taking women’s power for granted.” He alleged that dynastic political parties feared the rise of women leaders outside their families. “One major reason for opposition to Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam by dynastic parties is their fear,” he stated.
He further said that opposing the bill amounted to an affront to women’s dignity. “Snatching away women’s rights, these people were thumping the tables; that was an assault on the dignity of women, on their self-respect,” he said.
Highlighting public sentiment, the Prime Minister said that women across the country are aware of the developments and will hold those responsible accountable. “The country has now completely understood the ugly political pattern used to steal women’s rights,” he added.
Addressing concerns over delimitation, the Prime Minister clarified that the proposed framework ensured fair representation for all states. He noted that no state would lose seats and that representation would increase proportionately.
Drawing parallels with past reforms, the Prime Minister said that several key initiatives—including Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile integration, digital payments, GST, and the law against Triple Talaq—had faced opposition initially. He also referred to controversies surrounding the Citizenship Amendment Act and efforts to tackle extremism.
The Prime Minister said that such resistance has historically delayed India’s progress. “Generations of Indians have suffered deeply due to such indecision and deceit,” he remarked.
Reaffirming his government’s resolve, the Prime Minister assured that efforts to implement women’s reservation will continue. “We will remove every obstacle coming in the way of women’s reservation,” he said.
Expressing confidence, he added, “The blessings of the country’s 100 percent Nari Shakti are with us,” and reiterated that the government remains committed to fulfilling the aspirations of women.
“For the dreams of half the population and the future of the country, we have to fulfill this resolution,” the Prime Minister said.
(DD News)
