A day after the Women’s Reservation Bill collapsed in the Lok Sabha, senior BJP leader Smriti Irani launched a blistering attack on the Opposition, accusing the Congress of betraying millions of women by blocking a long-pending reform while falsely posturing as ‘champions of gender justice’.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters, Irani asserted that the bill was never about electoral arithmetic but about empowering “ordinary women” who aspire to participate in nation-building. She underlined that women across India have consistently backed Narendra Modi since 2014, dismissing Opposition claims that the legislation was a vote-bank exercise.
In a pointed remark aimed at Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Irani suggested that those born into political privilege may struggle to understand the significance of grassroots empowerment, arguing that the initiative reflected a deeper commitment to expanding women’s role in governance rather than a tactical move.
Political flashpoint turns into narrative war
The remarks came amid an intense political showdown after the bill failed to pass. Priyanka Gandhi had earlier termed the development a “Black Day” for the government, claiming that women are now politically aware and no longer swayed by narratives crafted through politics or media.
Irani hit back, accusing the Congress of hypocrisy and alleging that Opposition benches celebrated inside Parliament after derailing the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026. She argued that the party’s conduct exposed a glaring gap between its rhetoric on women’s rights and its actions when it mattered most.
Governance records under scrutiny
Drawing a sharp contrast between regimes, Irani criticised previous Congress-led governments, claiming they failed to provide even basic dignity to women, citing lack of toilets and limited access to banking services. She positioned the BJP-led NDA government as having taken a structured approach, pointing to measures such as gender budgeting as evidence of systemic reform aimed at women’s empowerment.
She further accused the opposition and its allies of celebrating the derailment of a decades-old demand for 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures, calling it a setback for political equality in India.
Numbers seal the bill’s fate
The controversy stems from the bill’s failure to secure the constitutionally mandated two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha. Out of 528 members present, 298 voted in favour while 230 opposed it, well short of the 352 required for passage.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla confirmed the bill’s defeat, after which Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju indicated that the government would not move forward with related legislation.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah squarely blamed the Opposition for stalling the bill. On the other hand, Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, reiterated that while they support women’s reservation in principle, they oppose linking it with delimitation.
The episode has deepened political fault lines, with both sides claiming to stand for women’s rights even as the long-awaited reform remains stalled.