E-Paper
Women quota bill won't discriminate, in favour of democracy: PM Modi in Lok Sabha | Top quotes
PM Modi urged all parties to “collectively” ensure the passage of the The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke on the first day of the special session of the Parliament, pushing for all parties to “collectively” ensure the passage of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam or The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023.
PM Modi said that the women's reservation bill would not “discriminate” against anyone and would not be “unfair.”
The special session of the Parliament's Budget session began Thursday, and is due to run from April 16 to April 18.
Three key bills – The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, The Delimitation Bill, 2026, The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 – have been introduced. The decision on these will be taken on Friday (April 17) at 4 pm IST.
Also Read | 'Kabhi maaf nahi karege': PM Modi's warning to Opposition over women's quota bill
During his speech in Lok Sabha, the Prime Minister urged Opposition parties to support the Bill, while providing a “guarantee” that it would not lead to political benefit for a single group. He, however, said that if anyone raises objection to the bill, the women would not “forgive” them. Here are the key highlights from PM Modi's speech on the floor of the house.
PM Modi speaks on women's reservation in Lok Sabha | Top quotes
• ‘Will not discriminate, decision process won’t be unfair'
PM Modi said that the passage of women's reservation and delimitation bills would not be discriminatory in nature. “I want to say responsibly today that this will not discriminate against anyone. This decision process will not be unfair to anyone,” PM Modi said.
He added, “The government that was in power earlier, the delimitation of the seats, and the ratio that has been in place since then, will remain unchanged, and the ratio will remain the same…”
• ‘Lawmakers about to give country new direction’
PM Modi, at the beginning of his speech, highlighted that the lawmakers were “about to give this country a new direction.” “All of us (lawmakers) should not let this opportunity. We are about to give the country a new direction. This is an effort to make our legislation more sensitive. In the 21st century, India is moving ahead with a new confidence. We can see India's stature growing globally,” he said.
• ‘No party objected in principle’
The Prime Minister stated that when he met different opposition groups, no one had objections regarding the principles of the bill. “If we meet in small groups, we all agree that this (women's reservation) is a much-needed move. No party has objected in principle. But in the parliament, there is political opposition,” he said.
• ‘Won’t go down as victory for one party’
Amid objections from the Opposition regarding the timing of the Bill and apprehensions of “haste”, the Prime Minister said he would “guarantee” that the passage of the bill guaranteeing women's reservation would not be a “victory for one party.” “This will be a collective success for everybody, the entire nation. This won't go down as a victory for any one party," he said.
• ‘Those who opposed won’t be forgiven’
PM Modi stated that while the bill's passage would not benefit anyone, those opposing it would not be “forgiven” by the women of the country. “Women have not forgotten those who have stood against their rights,” he said.
The Prime Minister further added, "As a friend - I have some advice for those opposing this -- Everybody who has objected to reservation of women in any field, haven't been spared by women." PM Modi said that the bill should not be given a “political colour.”
• ‘Women denied this right for ages’
PM Modi, during his speech, said that no one was “giving” the women of the country something, asserting instead that this was a “right” they had been denied.
“We should not live in this illusion that we are giving the women of this country something. This is their right, that they have been denied for ages,” PM Modi said.
• ‘Don’t want credit, will publish everyone's photo’
The Prime Minister said he does want “credit” for the passage of the bill, adding that he was ready to “publish everyone's photo." “I give you a blank cheque for claiming credit on passage of women quota bill,” PM Modi said. “I don't want credit. After this bill passes, tomorrow I will give a full-page ad with whosoever's photo you want,” he added.
• ‘This will be in favour of country’s decision-making’
PM Modi said that the successful passage of women's reservation would benefit the country's democracy and decision-making. “This will be in favour of the country's democracy, it will be in favor of the country's collective decision-making, and we will all be entitled to the credit,” he said.
“Neither the Treasury Department nor Modi will be its rightful owner, nor will everyone sitting here be its rightful owner,” the Prime Minister added.
