PM Modi Condemns Opposition Over Women's Reservation Bill Defeat as "Foeticide"
Narendra Modi brands opposition's rejection of the 131st Constitutional Amendment on women's reservation as a betrayal of gender justice and national interest.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi sharply criticized key opposition parties including Congress, DMK, TMC, and the Samajwadi Party for defeating the Women's Reservation Bill (Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026), labeling their actions as "foeticide"—a striking metaphor equating the bill's rejection to the killing of a long-overdue reform.
Why This Bill Matters More Than Ever
The bill aimed to constitutionally guarantee 33% reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies, a reform debated since the 1990s. The 131st Amendment intended to embed this mandate explicitly, clearing legal ambiguities and pushing forward India’s gender representation in politics—a chronic challenge given the country's low female political participation rates.
Women currently occupy roughly 14% of Lok Sabha seats, and no state assembly has crossed 20% (except a few) in female representation. This bill, if passed, promised to nearly double that overnight. Improved representation translates into more gender-sensitive policymaking and equitable access to resources—areas where India traditionally lags behind global averages.
Modi’s "foeticide" remark is potent because it frames the opposition as aborting a reform that could nurture India's democratic and social maturation. The metaphor underscores how deeply politicized the bill has become, with partisan calculations apparently outweighing long-term societal progress.
The Political Calculus Behind the Opposition’s Rejection
Opposition parties have cited concerns that the bill disproportionately favors women from dominant castes, sidelining marginalized communities. Parties like DMK and Samajwadi have argued that the bill lacks adequate safeguards for Other Backward Classes and Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes women. Hence, their opposition could be seen as attempting to protect their political bases.
Congress and TMC have also criticized the bill for pushing an agenda without sufficient consensus and for not addressing structural inequalities fully. However, Modi's rebuke suggests he believes this resistance masks their unwillingness to cede electoral advantage by empowering female candidates, who could disrupt entrenched patronage networks.
This scene is reminiscent of the long delay in passing the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments, which mandated reservations for women in local governments but faced similar resistance before gaining acceptance and proving transformative at the grassroots.
What to Watch Next
The bill's defeat does not necessarily end the debate—Prime Minister Modi’s forceful language signals that the ruling party may push the issue aggressively in future sessions or through alternative legislative routes.
Watch for:
- Possible presidential references or judicial challenges arguing that denying reservation violates gender equality.
- State-level experiments or coalitions including women’s quotas outside the parliamentary framework.
- Shifts in opposition strategies to accommodate demands from marginalized groups alongside gender representation, a critical factor in garnering wider acceptance.
The drama over the Women’s Reservation Bill reveals enduring fault lines in Indian democracy—between gender justice, caste equity, and party politics. Modi’s framing of opposition actions as "foeticide" may rally public opinion and women activists but also risks deepening political polarization on a reform that affects India’s democratic fabric deeply.
For ongoing context on Indian political dynamics and gender equity reforms, see our 
India and Global Politics pages.
NDTV: Opposition Committed "Foeticide" By Defeating Bill: PM On Women's Reservation
