In a striking appeal for bipartisan unity, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday told the Opposition to “take the credit” for the women’s reservation push, offering a “blank cheque” to share political ownership, as he urged Parliament to pass the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill and related legislations without delay.“As soon as this gets passed, I am ready to run advertisements thanking everyone… ready to print everyone’s photograph. Take the credit. Whichever photo you want printed, I’m ready to get it printed at government expense. I give you a blank cheque,” Modi said in the Lok Sabha, seeking to reject the charges of political motive around the move.He followed it up with a pointed political calculation, arguing that opposition to the Bill would only benefit him electorally. “If they oppose it, I will gain politically; if they walk with us, no one gains politically. We don’t want the credit,” he said, underscoring that the decision should be seen as a national, not partisan, exercise.Acknowledging delays in implementing women’s reservation, the Prime Minister said Parliament must now “atone” for holding back women’s rightful participation for decades. “I want to say to my colleagues in the House that we should not remain under the illusion that we are giving something to the women of this country. This is their right. Let us not remain in that ego that we are giving something to the country’s women power… No way! It is her right. We have been holding it back for several decades,” he said, cautioning that women voters had consistently punished those who opposed such measures.Modi also said empowering women in legislatures was rooted in India’s democratic ethos, framing the legislation as a civilisational commitment. “As the mother of democracy, this is India’s cultural commitment,” he said, adding that women’s participation would bring “new energy, new thinking and sensitivity” into governance.The PM also mounted a strong defence of the proposed delimitation framework, assuring members that there would be no regional imbalance. “From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, there will be no injustice… the proportion will remain the same,” he said, offering a categorical “guarantee” to allay fears of political skew. “If you need a guarantee, I guarantee it; if you need a promise, I promise it… because if the intention is clear, there’s no need to play with words,” he said.Calling the present moment “historic”, Modi urged MPs not to let the opportunity slip, saying it could shape the future trajectory of the nation. He argued that a developed India must go beyond infrastructure metrics to ensure inclusive policymaking, stressing that “50 per cent of the population must be part of decision-making”.Drawing on grassroots realities, Modi highlighted the rise of women leaders through panchayati raj institutions over the past three decades. Citing data, he said hundreds of district and block panchayats, along with urban local bodies, were today led by women who had developed political consciousness and administrative experience. “These women are no longer silent. They are asking to be part of decision-making at the highest level,” he said, warning that those who resisted the shift would “pay a heavy price” politically in the long run.He also took a swipe at past governments, accusing them of stalling the legislation through “technical arguments” for nearly three decades. “Every time, some excuse was found to delay it,” he said.Appealing for consensus, Modi urged members to rise above political calculations. “Do not weigh this on the scales of politics. Women across the country will judge not just the decision, but our intent,” he said.The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill seeks to operationalise the women’s reservation framework, alongside the Delimitation Bill and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, which aim to extend its implementation to Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir.