Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of converting an official national address into a politically charged speech following the defeat of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, in the Lok Sabha. Kharge alleged that the Prime Minister’s remarks were dominated by “mudslinging” and “outright lies,” rather than addressing substantive issues.

The controversy comes hours after the proposed legislation—aimed at expanding the Lok Sabha from 543 to 850 seats to facilitate 33% reservation for women by the 2029 general elections—failed to secure the constitutionally required two-thirds majority. While 298 members supported the bill, 230 Opposition MPs voted against it, leading to its rejection in the lower house.

In a post on X, Kharge claimed that the Prime Minister disproportionately targeted the Congress party during his 30-minute address, alleging that Modi mentioned Congress “59 times” while referring to women only sparingly. He argued that this imbalance reflected misplaced priorities, stating that the speech underscored the ruling party’s focus on political opposition rather than women’s empowerment.

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Kharge also accused the Prime Minister of violating electoral norms, alleging misuse of official machinery at a time when the Model Code of Conduct is in force due to upcoming Assembly elections in two States. He described the situation as a “travesty of democracy and the Constitution,” and called for greater accountability in maintaining the neutrality of official platforms.

The defeated bill was linked to the implementation of the Women’s Reservation Act passed in 2023, which mandates reservation for women but requires delimitation and census exercises before being enforced. In his address, Modi criticised Opposition parties for blocking what he described as a crucial reform, accusing some leaders of celebrating the bill’s defeat and undermining women’s representation.

Reiterating Congress’s stance, Kharge said his party had consistently supported women’s reservation, pointing to its role in passing similar legislation in the Rajya Sabha in 2010 and backing the 2023 law. He urged the government to immediately implement 33% reservation within the existing Lok Sabha framework, avoid conflating delimitation with reservation measures, and issue an apology to citizens. He further intensified his criticism by accusing the ruling party of being “anti-women” in both policy and conduct, citing past incidents and controversies to support his claims.

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