PM Modi urges MPs to ‘create history’ as women’s reservation vote nears

As Parliament moved toward a decisive vote on a landmark constitutional amendment to expand women’s representation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday made a pointed and emotional appeal to Members of Parliament, asking them to transcend partisan divisions and act in the national interest.

In a message shared on X, Modi called on lawmakers to “listen to your conscience while remembering the mothers, sisters, daughters, and wives in your homes,” casting the moment as both deeply personal and historically significant. He described the proposed amendment as a rare chance to “serve and honour the women of our nation,” while warning against any decision that could limit their role in public life.

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“This is a significant moment… Do not deprive them of new opportunities,” the Prime Minister said, as the Lok Sabha witnessed an intense and often charged debate on the long-pending issue of women’s reservation. The reform, which has gone through multiple political iterations over the years, has consistently drawn broad support in principle but faced hurdles over its execution.

The government has positioned the amendment as a transformative step toward more inclusive governance, aimed at increasing women’s presence in legislative bodies. However, differences have emerged across party lines on key aspects, particularly its implementation timeline and its proposed linkage with future delimitation exercises.

Seeking to rally consensus, Modi highlighted the broader democratic stakes tied to the bill’s passage. “If this amendment is passed unanimously, the women of the country will be further empowered… and so will our democracy,” he said, signaling the government’s push for a unified political stance.

He ended his appeal with a call for collective resolve, urging MPs to “create history” by backing the measure. “Let us give India’s women—half of the nation’s population—the rights they deserve,” he said.

The Prime Minister’s intervention comes at a crucial juncture, with voting expected after prolonged deliberations, turning the outcome into not just a legislative milestone but also a test of Parliament’s ability to come together on a reform with wide-ranging social and political implications.