Shri Narendra Modi's speech at the Global Maritime Security and Anti-Piracy Conference.

Today I have come to speak on a very important subject, especially to the mothers, sisters, and daughters of the country! Today every citizen of India is watching how the flight of women power has been stopped. Their dreams have been ruthlessly crushed. Despite our utmost efforts, we could not succeed, the amendment to the Nari Shakti Vandan Act could not be passed! And for this, I seek forgiveness from all the mothers and sisters.

Friends,

For us, national interest is paramount, but when for some people party interest becomes everything, when party interest becomes bigger than national interest, then women power and national interest have to bear the consequences. This time too, the same has happened. The selfish politics of parties like Congress, DMK, TMC, and Samajwadi Party has harmed the women power of the country.

Friends,

Yesterday, the eyes of crores of women in the country were on Parliament, the women power of the nation was watching. I too felt very sad to see that when this proposal in favor of women fell, parties like Congress, DMK, TMC, and SP, family-oriented parties, were clapping with joy. By snatching away the rights of women, they were thumping the tables. What they did was not just thumping on the tables, it was a blow to the self-respect and dignity of women. And women forget everything, but they never forget their insult. Therefore, the pain of the behavior of Congress and its allies in Parliament will always remain in the hearts of women. Whenever the women of the country see these leaders in their areas, they will remember that it was these very people who celebrated in Parliament when women’s reservation was stopped, they rejoiced. To those parties who opposed the Nari Shakti Vandan amendment in Parliament yesterday, I will say clearly: these people are taking women power for granted. They are forgetting that the women of the 21st century are watching every event in the country, they are sensing their intentions, and they have fully understood the truth. Therefore, for opposing women’s reservation, the sin committed by the opposition will surely bring punishment to them. These parties have also insulted the sentiments of the framers of the Constitution, and they will not escape the punishment from the people either.

Friends,

The Nari Shakti Vandan amendment was not about taking anything away from anyone. The Nari Shakti Vandan amendment was about giving something to everyone, it was an amendment to give. It was about giving women the right that has been pending for 40 years, from the 2029 Lok Sabha elections onwards.

The Nari Shakti Vandan amendment was a great effort to give new opportunities, new flight, and to remove obstacles from the path of the women of 21st century India. It was a sacred effort made with clear intent and honesty to give rights to 50% of the country’s population. It was an effort to make women co-travelers in India’s journey of development and to include everyone. The Nari Shakti Vandan amendment is the demand of the time. The Nari Shakti Vandan amendment was an effort to equally increase the strength of every state, North, South, East, West. It was an effort to give more strength to the voice of every state in Parliament. Whether the state is small or big, whether the population is less or more, it was an effort to increase everyone’s strength in equal proportion. But this honest effort has been subjected to foeticide in Parliament by Congress and its allies, foeticide. Congress, TMC, Samajwadi Party, DMK—these parties are guilty of this foeticide. They are criminals against the Constitution of the country, they are criminals against the women power of the country.

Friends,

Congress hates the subject of women’s reservation, it has always conspired to stop women’s reservation. Every time efforts were made in this direction, Congress obstructed them. This time too, Congress and its allies relied on one falsehood after another to stop women’s reservation. Sometimes about numbers, sometimes in other ways, Congress and its allies tried to mislead the country. By doing so, these parties have revealed their true face before the women power of India. They have removed their mask.

Friends,

Personally, I had hoped that Congress would correct its decades-old mistake. Congress would repent for its sins. But Congress lost the opportunity to create history, to stand in favor of women. Congress has already lost its existence in most parts of the country. Congress is surviving like a parasite, riding on the back of regional parties. But Congress does not even want regional parties to grow stronger, so Congress conspired politically to push the future of many regional parties into darkness by making them oppose this amendment.

Friends,

Congress, Samajwadi Party, DMK, TMC, and other parties have, for so many years, every time created the same excuses, the same false arguments, always inserting some technical snag, and they have looted the rights of women. The country has understood this ugly pattern of politics, and it has also understood the reason behind it.

Brothers and sisters,

One big reason for the opposition to the Nari Shakti Vandan Act is the fear of these family-oriented parties. They fear that if women become empowered, then the leadership of these family-oriented parties will be in danger. They will never want women outside their families to move forward. Today, in Panchayats and local bodies, thousands and millions of women have proven their capability. When they want to move forward into Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies, when they want to serve the country, these family-oriented parties feel insecure. After delimitation, there will be many more seats for women, women’s stature will increase, and that is why these people opposed the Nari Shakti Vandan amendment. The women power of the country will never forgive Congress and its allies for this sin.

My dear countrymen,

Congress and its allied parties are continuously, continuously lying about delimitation. They want to ignite the fire of division under this pretext. Because “divide and rule” politics is something Congress inherited from the British. And Congress is still running on that same path today. Congress has always fueled sentiments that create rifts in the country. Therefore, this lie was spread that delimitation would harm some states! Whereas the government has made it clear from the very first day that neither the proportion of participation of any state will change, nor will anyone’s representation be reduced. In fact, the seats of all states will increase in equal proportion. Yet Congress, DMK, TMC, and Samajwadi Party were not ready to accept this.

Friends,

This amendment bill was an opportunity for all parties and all states. If this bill had passed, Tamil Nadu, Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, every state’s seats would have increased. But because of their selfish politics, these parties betrayed even the people of their own states. For example, DMK had the chance to make more Tamil people MPs and MLAs, to strengthen Tamil Nadu’s voice! But it lost that chance. TMC also had the chance to advance the people of Bengal. But TMC too lost that chance. Samajwadi Party had the chance to reduce the stain of its anti-women image. But SP missed it too. SP has already forgotten Lohia ji. By opposing the Nari Shakti Vandan amendment, SP trampled all of Lohia ji’s dreams underfoot. SP is anti-women reservation, and the women of UP and the country will never forget this.

Friends,

By opposing women’s reservation, Congress has once again proved one thing. Congress is an anti-reform party. For a developed India in the 21st century, whatever decisions, whatever reforms are necessary, whatever decisions the country takes, Congress opposes them, rejects them, obstructs them. This is the history of Congress and this is Congress’s negative politics.

Friends,

This is the same Congress that opposed the trinity of Jan Dhan–Aadhaar–Mobile. Congress opposed digital payments. Congress opposed GST. Congress opposed reservation for the poor in the general category. Congress opposed the law against triple talaq. Congress opposed the removal of Article 370. Our Constitution, our courts, have said that the Uniform Civil Code, UCC, is necessary, but Congress opposes that too. At the very mention of reform, Congress runs with placards of protest. Any work that strengthens the country, Congress puts all its strength into creating obstacles in it. Congress opposes One Nation One Election. Congress opposes driving out infiltrators from the country. Congress opposes purification of the voter list, SIR. Congress opposes reforms in the Waqf Board.

Friends,

Congress even opposed the CAA law that gave security to refugees. By lying and spreading rumors, it created a storm in the country. Congress obstructs the country’s efforts to end Maoist–Naxalite violence. Congress has had only one pattern: whenever a reform comes, lie, spread confusion. History is witness, Congress has always chosen this negative path.

Friends,

Whatever decision is necessary for the country, Congress sweeps it under the carpet. Because of this attitude of Congress, India has not reached the heights of development it deserves. At the time of independence, many other countries were freed along with us. Most of those countries went far ahead of us, and the reason was that Congress kept blocking every reform. Delay, diversion, obstruction—this was Congress’s principle, this was Congress’s work culture. Congress delayed border disputes with neighboring countries. Congress delayed water-sharing disputes with Pakistan. Congress delayed the decision on OBC reservation for 40 years. Congress delayed One Rank One Pension for soldiers for 40 years.

Friends,

This attitude of Congress has always caused great harm to the country. The nation has suffered from every opposition, every indecision, every deceit of Congress. Generations of the country have suffered. Today, all the major challenges before the country have arisen from this attitude of Congress. Therefore, this fight is not just about one law, this fight is against Congress’s anti-reform mentality, which is filled only with negativity. And I have no doubt that the women and daughters of the country will give a strong reply to this mentality of Congress.

Friends,

Some people are calling the breaking of the dreams of the women of the country a failure of the government. But this subject was never about success or failure, never about credit. I had said in Parliament too: let half the population get their rights, I will give the credit to the opposition by publishing advertisements with all their photos. But those who look at women with outdated thinking still stuck to their lies, remained firm!

Friends,

The fight to give women power participation has been going on for decades. For years, I too have been among those making efforts for it. So many women have raised this subject before me. So many sisters have written letters to me explaining everything. My country’s mothers, sisters, daughters—I know you are all sad today. I too share in your sorrow. Today, even though we did not get the required 66 percent votes to pass the bill, I know that 100 percent of the women power of the country has blessed us. I assure every woman of the country: we will remove every obstacle in the path of women’s reservation. Our courage is high, our determination unbreakable, and our resolve unwavering. The parties opposing women’s reservation will never be able to stop the women power of this country from increasing their participation in Parliament and Legislative Assemblies. It is only a matter of time. The BJP–NDA’s resolve for the empowerment of women power is intact. Yesterday we did not have the numbers, but that does not mean we lost. Our inner strength is invincible. Our effort will not stop, our effort will not pause. We will have more opportunities ahead. For the dreams of half the population, for the future of the country, we must fulfill this resolve. Thank you all very much.