Mamata Banerjee on Sunday launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of “misleading the nation” in his recent address while strongly defending her party’s record on women’s political representation amid the escalating controversy over women’s reservation and delimitation.
In a message posted on her WhatsApp channel, Banerjee described the Prime Minister’s remarks as “deeply unfortunate,” asserting that he had chosen to mislead rather than engage with the issue honestly. She positioned her response as a direct rebuttal to the Centre’s narrative.
Banerjee maintained that the All India Trinamool Congress has consistently championed greater political representation for women, dismissing any suggestion that her party opposed reservations.
“Trinamool Congress has always advocated higher political participation for women. We have the highest proportion of female elected representatives in both Parliament and the State Legislature,” she said.
She highlighted that women constitute 37.9% of her party’s Lok Sabha MPs and 46% of its Rajya Sabha members. “The question of opposing women’s reservation does not arise and never has,” she added.
At the same time, Banerjee reiterated her party’s strong opposition to the proposed delimitation exercise, alleging that it was being pursued for political gain. “What we fundamentally oppose is the delimitation exercise that the Modi Government is attempting to push through by using women as a shield for its vested political agenda,” she said.
Warning of serious constitutional implications, she argued that such moves could amount to an “alteration of Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Constitution” and enable “gerrymandering” that might “hand greater representation to BJP-ruled states at the expense of others.”
Describing the situation as “an assault on federal democracy,” Banerjee asserted, “We will not remain silent spectators.”
She also questioned the timing of the government’s push, noting the delay since the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill in September 2023. “If the government was genuinely committed to this noble cause, why did it wait nearly three years? Why is it being rushed now, when several states are heading into elections? And why is it being linked with delimitation?” she asked.
Taking aim at the Prime Minister’s communication style, Banerjee called for greater accountability. “The next time you address the nation, do so from the floor of Parliament, where you are subject to scrutiny, challenge, and accountability,” she said, describing his earlier remarks as “cowardly, hypocritical, and fork-tongued.”
Her comments come amid intensifying political friction over the implementation of women’s reservation and the proposed redrawing of constituencies—both of which are emerging as major flashpoints ahead of upcoming state elections. The debate has reignited broader concerns around representation, federal balance, and electoral strategy in India’s evolving political landscape.