Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on Congress on Saturday. He said that Congress is an 'anti-reform party' and uses all its strength to stop any work that strengthens the country. Addressing the nation, PM Modi said that Congress has the same old method, whatever reforms come, people are misled by telling lies. His statement came a day after the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, which increases the number of seats in the Lok Sabha to 816 and implements 33 percent reservation for women in the assemblies by 2029, was defeated in the lower house.
PM Modi said that he believes that Congress has missed the opportunity to stand with the women of the country. He said, Congress has lost its hold in many parts of the country and is maintaining its existence like a parasite with the help of regional parties.
He said that Congress does not want to allow the power of regional parties to grow and hence it carried out a political conspiracy to push the future of many regional parties into darkness by forcing them to oppose the bill. By opposing women's reservation, Congress has once again proved that it is an anti-reform party.
Whatever reforms are necessary for 21st century India, whatever decisions the country is taking, Congress opposes them all, rejects them and puts obstacles in their path. Congress has had a history of delaying, deviating and hindering and this is its negative politics. The PM said that this is the Congress which had opposed 'Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, Mobile Trishakti'.
PM Modi said that Congress had also opposed digital payments, GST, reservation for general category poor, triple talaq law, removal of Article 370 and Uniform Civil Code. As soon as Congress hears about the reform, it rushes to oppose it. Congress uses all its strength to obstruct any work that strengthens the country.
Congress also opposes 'one nation, one election'. He said the Congress also opposes the removal of infiltrators, purifying electoral lists through SIR, reforms in Waqf boards and protection to refugees through CAA. He further said that the party has also hindered efforts to end Maoist and Naxalite violence.
PM Modi said that history is witness that Congress has always chosen this negative path. Whatever work is important for the country, Congress suppresses it. It is because of this attitude of Congress that India has not been able to achieve the heights of development that it deserves. At the time of India's independence, many countries got independence, but most of them went ahead of us, and the reason for this was that Congress stopped all the reforms.
PM Modi said that Congress continuously postponed the resolution of border disputes with neighboring countries, including water disputes with Pakistan. It postponed the decision on OBC reservation for 40 years. This postponed 'One Rank One Pension' for 40 years. This attitude of Congress has always caused huge loss to the country.
He said that due to Congress's opposition and its deception, the country and its future generations have had to pay the price. All the big challenges facing the country are because of this attitude of Congress. The PM said, I have no doubt that all the sisters and mothers of the country will give a befitting reply to this mentality of the Congress.
On Friday, 298 members voted in support of the bill in the Lok Sabha, while 230 MPs voted against it. Of the 528 members voting, the bill needed 352 votes for a two-thirds majority.
The bill proposes to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats from the current 543 to 816 to implement the women's reservation law before the 2029 parliamentary elections after delimitation based on the 2011 census. The number of seats in state and union territory assemblies was also to be increased to accommodate the 33 percent reservation for women. A three-day special session was called from 16 to 18 April to get the approval of Parliament for the bill.
