A day after the Bill to advance women’s reservation to the 2029 poll cycle by enhancing the strength of the Lok Sabha failed in the Lower House, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched an attack on the Opposition accusing it of committing “foeticide” by defeating “an honest attempt to secure women’s political rights in India after nearly three decades”.The PM, in an address to the nation, singled out the Congress for a no-holds-barred assault and said the party had again demonstrated its “anti-reform mindset” by opposing Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam amendments.Modi said the amendments were not meant to take anything away from anyone, but the Congress and allies “constantly lied about delimitation to again deploy illogical technicalities and stall a decades-old aspiration of India’s women”.”Women will not forgive the Opposition for this sin,” he said.The PM added, “The Congress, DMK, TMC and Samajwadi Party are guilty of foeticide of an honest attempt…they will pay the price for this.”In the attack, which Congress veteran Jairam Ramesh called “pathetic, partisan and polemical”, the PM promised to fulfil women’s reservation agenda in a “matter of time”.”We may not have garnered 66 per cent votes required to pass the Bill yesterday, but I know 100 per cent blessings of India’s women are with us….We will remove all hurdles from the path of women’s reservation, our resolve is firm,” he said, signalling the ruling BJP’s plans to weave a national narrative around the issue ahead of elections in crucial states like Uttar Pradesh and Punjab in 2027 and the Lok Sabha in 2029.The PM began his address by apologising to women for his government’s inability to get the Bill passed, and went on to question the Congress and allies’ jubilation after the agenda fell in the Lok Sabha yesterday.”After snatching women’s rights, the Congress and its friends were thumping desks. This was an assault on the dignity and self-respect of women who forget everything but never forget their insult,” Modi said, adding that when leaders of these parties hit the field, women will remember their faces and punish them.The PM termed the Congress and other parties’ resistance to the Bill as the insecurity of family-based parties even as he rejected as “false” the Opposition pitch on delimitation.”The Opposition parties have constantly lied about delimitation. The Congress has inherited the British policy of divide and rule and has always fuelled divisive sentiments. Despite the government’s assurance that neither the proportional share nor the representation of any state in the Lok Sabha will reduce, falsehoods were spread. The amendment was a chance for Tamil Nadu, UP, West Bengal, Kerala and all other states, irrespective of population and size, to enhance their Lok Sabha strength but for their selfish politics, the Congress, DMK, TMC and SP betrayed their own people,” Modi said, adding that the Bill was never about “defeat or credit”.Throughout his address, Modi questioned the Congress, blaming “all current national challenges to the Congress politics of stalling, misleading and postponing issues”.”The Congress has opposed every attempt to strengthen India,” the PM said, mentioning the main Opposition party’s resistance to One Nation, One Election, removal of illegal immigrants, purification of electoral rolls, Wakf Board reform and the CAA.As a parting message to the Opposition, Modi asked everyone who took the women for granted to “beware”.