PM Modi apologizes to women of the country, blames Opposition parties for ‘stopping’ 33% reservation: LIVE

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the nation on April 18, 2026. Photo: Screengrab via YouTube/@NarendraModi .

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address to the nation, says that the country is watching how the desires and dreams of the women have been crushed. 

“Nari Shakti (women’s power) and the country’s benefit have to take the hit. It was very sad to see that when the Bill was defeated. These guys were celebrating and banging the bench,” he said. 

His address comes one day after the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill was defeated in the Lok Sabha.

Under the Bill, Lok Sabha seats were to be increased up to 816 from the current 543 to “operationalise” the women’s reservation law before the 2029 parliamentary polls, following a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census. Seats were also to be increased in the State and Union Territory assemblies to accommodate 33% reservation for women

Key Updates

April 18, 2026 22:32
Despite setback, Govt. determined to remove all obstacles to women’s reservation: PM Modi

Despite setback, Govt. determined to remove all obstacles to women’s reservation: PM Modi
PM Modi vows to overcome obstacles for women’s reservation, criticizing opposition parties for undermining women’s representation in India.

April 18, 2026 22:29
Govt insulting women by using them as decoy to pass delimitation: Derek O’Brien
Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha Leader Derek O’Brien on Saturday accused the government of using women as a “decoy” to push delimitation.

April 18, 2026 21:19
May not have 66% votes, but got the blessings of 100% of women: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi says that the “fight is about is against the negativity of Congress.”

“The Bill was not about credit. I even mentioned in the parliament that I will give credit to the Opposition,” says PM Modi.

He further adds, “We may not have got 66% votes, but we have got the blessings of 100% of women.”

“We may not have had numbers yesterday, but we will continue our fight,” says the Prime Minister.

April 18, 2026 21:14
PM calls Congress an ‘anti-reform’ party
Prime Minister Narendra Modi calls Congress an “anti-reform party.”

“Congress objects to everything necessary for development in the 21st century. This is the negative politics of the Congress. This is the same party that objected to GST, Digital payments, and even objected to triple talaq laws,” says PM Modi.

“Congress has a history of creating hurdles for anything that is done for the development of the country,” says PM Modi.

April 18, 2026 21:07
PM Modi targets dynastic politics, says Women’s Bill threatens family-run parties
Talking about the dynastic-led politics in the different political parties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi says that the Women’s Reservation Bill, if implemented, would have created trouble for their control of the party.

“They (Opposition) will never want that woman from outside their family to grow in the party,” says PM Modi.

“The country will never forgive the Congress and parties,” adds the Prime Minister.

April 18, 2026 21:01
PM Modi says Congress ‘missed nation’, missed chance to support women
Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlights that Congress and its alliance partners have always tried to hinder the process of women’s empowerment and have always tried to mislead the nation.

“By doing this, they (opposition) have shown their true face to the nation,” says Mr. Modi.

“I was hoping that Congress would rectify its age-old mistake. But they lost the chance to stand with the women,” adds PM Modi.

April 18, 2026 20:56
Opposition are criminals of constitution and women’s empowerment: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi says the Bill was aimed at providing equal growth to every State.

Taking a jibe at the Opposition, PM Modi calls parties like Congress, DMK, TMC and the alliance as “criminals of the constitution and women empowerment”.

“Congress hates the topic of women’s reservation. It has always created hurdles to stop women’s reservation,” says PM Modi.

April 18, 2026 20:49
PM says Women’s Reservation Bill aimed at justice, empowerment; calls it ‘need of the hour’
Prime Minister Narendra Modi claims that the Bill was aimed at providing justice and empowerment to the women of the 21st century.

“It was an effort done with clear and clean intention. It was an effort to make women a partner in the journey of the country’s development,” says the Prime Minister.

He further adds that the Women’s Reservation Bill is need of the hour.

April 18, 2026 20:43
PM Modi calls celebration by Opposition “attack on women’s self-respect”
Prime Minister Modi slams the Opposition and says, “What they (Opposition) have done is not just a bang on the table, but it was an attack on the self-respect of women.”

Talking about the Bill, PM Modi says, “The Bill was aimed to give something to everyone.” He adds that the amendment was aimed to provide the reservation that women deserve over the past 40 years.
April 18, 2026 20:35
PM Modi blames Opposition parties for ‘stopping’ women’s reservation
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address to the nation, says that the country is watching how the desires and dreams of the women have been crushed.

He says, “Nari Shakti (women’s power) and the country’s benefit have to take the hit. It was very sad to see that when the Bill was defeated. These guys were celebrating and banging the bench.”

April 18, 2026 20:31
PM Modi addresses the nation
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the nation, a day after a Bill to implement women’s reservation in legislatures was defeated in the Lok Sabha.

April 18, 2026 19:41
Can women’s quota be implemented before 2029 general elections?
The Constitution (131st) Amendment Bill, 2026, which sought to redistribute Lok Sabha seats on the basis of the 2011 Census to expedite the implementation of women’s reservation was defeated on the floor of the Lok Sabha on Friday April 17, 2026. The 2023 Women’s Reservation Act though remains a part of the Constitution and can be implemented according to its provisions.