Several opposition leaders strongly reacted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he described them as “anti-women” following the failure of the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticised the Prime Minister’s address to the nation, calling it inappropriate and politically charged. He said such speeches should rise above party politics and aim to unite the country.

Ramesh said that an address by a sitting Prime Minister carries importance and should build trust and confidence among citizens. However, he described Modi’s speech as the opposite.

“This pathetic partisan and polemical attack – a Distress Address rather than a National Address - would have been more appropriate in a Press Conference. But as unhinged as he is by the extraordinary legislative humiliation he suffered in the Lok Sabha last night, the non-grihasthi Prime Minister is still too much of a coward to face the media,” Ramesh wrote on X.

A sitting Prime Minister’s address to the nation has a sanctity to it. It is meant to be a non-partisan address intended to build national resolve and confidence. This pathetic partisan and polemical attack – a Distress Address rather than a National Address - would have been…

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) April 18, 2026

Congress questions delay and intent

Ramesh further argued that the Prime Minister should have apologised for attempting to push what he called a misleading proposal under the guise of women’s empowerment.

“His niyat is anything but saaf. It is poisonous. If one were to investigate his niyat, one only has to ask why the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, passed unanimously way back in Sept 2023, was notified only late at night on April 16 2026, after a delay of 30 months. His talking of mahila samman is sheer hypocrisy given the way he has conducted himself throughout his life,” he added.

TMC leaders also attack PM’s speech

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra also criticised the Prime Minister, calling his address “dramebaazi”.

“Hello @narendramodi - Your dramebaazi & your Godi media script will not hide the truth- women’s reservation already passed in 2023 & notified 2 days ago. NOTHING stops you from implementing it now & giving 1/3 of 543 seats to women the way TMC has done,” Moitra wrote on X.

Hello @narendramodi - Your dramebaazi & your Godi media script will not hide truth- women’s reservation already passed in 2023 & notified 2 days ago. NOTHING stops you from implementing it now & giving 1/3 of 543 seats to women the way TMC has done.

— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) April 18, 2026

Her party colleague Derek O'Brien accused the government of using women as a cover to push another agenda.

“Narendra, the worst form of insulting women is to have used them as a DECOY* to try and pass the Delimitation Bill. *Decoy (noun): a thing or a person that is used to trick somebody into doing what you want them to do,” he said in a social media post.

Narendra, the worst form of insulting women is to have used them as a DECOY* to try and pass the Delimitation Bill.

*Decoy (noun) : a thing or a person that is used to trick somebody into doing what you want them to do

— Derek O'Brien | ডেরেক ও'ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) April 18, 2026

Kharge questions PM’s priorities

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also criticised the Prime Minister’s speech. He pointed out that Modi mentioned Congress far more times than women in his address.

“Modi ji mentioned Congress 59 times and women barely few times. That tells the country everything about his priorities. Women are not the BJP’s priority. Congress is, because Congress stands on the right side of history,” Kharge said.

What PM Modi said in his address

In his speech, PM Modi accused opposition parties of blocking women’s empowerment by preventing the bill from passing.

"I seek forgiveness from all women of the country," he said.

He claimed that parties such as Congress, DMK, TMC, and Samajwadi Party had put political interests ahead of national progress.

"Today, every citizen of India is witnessing how the march of India's women has been halted. The dreams of the country's women have been mercilessly crushed, and despite our utmost efforts, we could not succeed," he said.

Modi further accused these parties of celebrating their political gains over women’s progress.

"The opposition has committed a sin by opposing women's reservation, and they will surely be punished for this. Opposition parties have insulted our Constitution by defeating the bill," he said.

PM defends bill and attacks Congress

The Prime Minister said the proposed law aimed to strengthen women’s empowerment without taking rights away from any group.

"I expected the Congress to correct its past mistakes, but it missed an opportunity to script new history. The family-run parties do not want women to move forward as that could end their selfish politics," he said.

He also accused Congress of promoting division, including spreading a North-South divide narrative.

"A woman forgets everything, but not her insult; this insult by the Congress and its allies will always remain in every woman's heart," he said.

Modi added that the amendment to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam was necessary to ensure balanced development and representation across all regions of the country.

"Congress has always opposed all attempts for nation-building, betterment of our country," he said.