‘Modi ji mentioned Congress 59 times, women barely’: Kharge slams PM’s speech after bill fails Lok Sabha test

E-PaperSubscribeSubscribeEnjoy unlimited accessSubscribe Now! Get features like Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “mudslinging” and “attacking his opponents” during his address to the nation on Saturday. The PM’s speech came after the government’s Constitution amendment bill was defeated in Parliament. Mallikarjun Kharge has accused PM Narendra Modi of delivering a politically charged and misleading address to the nation after the government’s Constitution amendment bill was defeated in Parliament. (Hindustan Times)“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 wrote on X. He also alleged misuse of official machinery ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in two major states. “The Model Code of Conduct is already in place and it was very clear how PM Modi misused official machinery to attack his opponents. This is a travesty of Democracy and the Constitution of India,” Kharge added. The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, failed to pass the vote in Lok Sabha after falling short of the required two-thirds majority. The legislation proposed expanding the House from 543 to 850 seats to facilitate 33% reservation for women by the 2029 elections. While the government secured 298 votes in favour, a united Opposition of 230 MPs voted it down. The bill was tied to the rollout of the Women’s Reservation Act, passed in 2023, and required delimitation and census-linked processes before implementation. Modi, in his 30-minute speech on Saturday, accused the Opposition of blocking women’s reform for political reasons. He said he was “very sad” that some Opposition leaders allegedly celebrated after the bill failed, calling it an insult to women’s dignity. The Opposition was “taking women for granted,” he claimed, adding they committed “foeticide”. Kharge pointed to what he described as a disproportionate focus on attacking Congress. “Modi ji mentioned Congress 59 times and women barely a few times. That tells the country everything about his priorities,” he wrote. “Women are not the BJP’s priority. Congress is, because Congress stands on the right side of history,” claimed Kharge. The Congress president claimed that his party has consistently supported women’s reservation. He said the Congress ensured the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Rajya Sabha in 2010 and also backed the 2023 legislation, which he said continues to remain in force. Criticising the delay in implementation, he said, “The fact that it took the BJP 3 years to notify their own bill, shows their commitment to India’s Naari Shakti!” “Modi ji should STOP lying to the nation,” he said. Kharge also laid out three demands for the Prime Minister. “He should implement 33% reservation for women in the existing 543 Lok Sabha seats under the 2023 law. Do not deny women their due representation now,” Kharge said. “Stop mixing up the delimitation bills… with the Women’s Reservation Bill… This was NOT. This was purely a delimitation Bill,” he added. His last demand was for Modi to “apologise to 140 crore Indians.” Kharge claimed the BJP has been “anti-women in both action and attitude”, citing incidents such as Hathras, Unnao, and the treatment of women wrestlers in Haryana. Kharge alleged that the party has shielded individuals accused of sexual crimes, referred to the release of convicts in the Bilkis Bano case, and accused its leaders of publicly supporting such individuals. “They have garlanded criminals and rapists,” Kharge accused. “After 12 and a half years in power… the Prime Minister had nothing to offer the nation except a political speech,” he added. Other Opposition parties also dismissed the PM’s allegations and accused him of misleading the public. Senior Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien said that the “worst form of insulting women” was using them as a “decoy” to push through the delimitation bill. Anita Goswami is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times, where she primarily covers Indian and international news. With four years of industry experience, she has led coverage of Indian General elections, Assembly elections, and national polls in the United States, Canada, Bangladesh, and Nepal. Her reporting covers global wars and major events, including Operation Sindoor, Sheikh Hasina's ouster and the Mahakumbh Mela. She verifies facts and uses clear sources to ensure accurate reporting. As former Chief Copy Editor at Storytailors, she managed teams to produce top-quality content for networks like NDTV, Profit, CNBC-TV18, Upstox and News18. Her work is featured in NDTV, Meaww, and Global Pulse. Throughout her tenure, Anita has collaborated with and been mentored by top industry experts. When not reading, Anita can be found outdoors or at a bakery. Fields of interest: Indian political history, international elections, historical policy analysis, global conflicts, cultural events, Formula 1, art, media ethics and reporting on socio-political change over time.Read More