New Delhi [India], April 18 : Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Saturday lambasted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his address criticising the opposition for not favouring the Constitution Amendment Bill that sought to increase Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 850 and subsequently, operationalise the women's reservation law.
He said that the PM's address to the nation was a "pathetic, partisan and polemical attack" and a "distress address" instead.
"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 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 posted on X.
He said that PM Modi's intentions were "poisonous" and questioned the Centre over three years of delay to notify the Women's Reservation Act, 2023, that was passed unanimously. He said that the Prime Minister should have apologised for his "shameless, deceitful attempts" to push the delimitation proposal in the nation of women.
"The Prime Minister has apologised for failing to see his Constitution amendment bill through the Lok Sabha. What he should have apologised for is his shameless, deceitful attempts to push through a devious delimitation proposal in the name of women. 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 night on April 16 2026 after a delay of 30 months. His talking of mahila samman is sheer hypocrisy give the way he has conducted himself throughout his life," Ramesh said.
The Congress leader said that the PM's attempts to push for the delimitation process through the Constitution Amendment Bill were a weakening of "democracy and federalism" and such an "attack" was anticipated when he called for crossing the 400-mark in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
"What the PM attempted in the Lok Sabha yesterday - a weakening of our democracy and our federalism - was exactly the sort of attack on the Constitution that was anticipated when the PM called for '400 paar' in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections. His attempts to invoke the legacy of the Constitution-makers only induce a revulsion at his dishonesty," Ramesh said.
Responding to the PM's criticism of Congress, Ramesh argued that his party pioneered the GST and the Jan Dhan-Aadhar-Mobile initiative. He said that it was former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi who nationalised the banking industry.
"Among the PM's more laughable claims was that the Indian National Congress opposed the Jan Dhan-Aadhar-Mobile and the GST. Both are entirely Congress creations. Indira Gandhi nationalised the banking industry and laid the foundation for universal bank access. Aadhar was launched by Dr Manmohan Singh on September 29, 2010 from Nandurbar district in Maharashtra. India's digital revolution was conceptualised and enabled by Rajiv Gandhi's vision and mission," he said.
Refuting his claims against Congress, Ramesh accused the PM of being a "pathological liar".
"The GST too was similarly pushed by Dr Manmohan Singh's Government and was only unable to pass back then because of opposition from a certain ex-CM of Gujarat. The same CM opposed the National Food Security Act, 2013 and MGNREGA that proved to be lifelines for crores of Indians during the COVID-19 pandemic. The PM is a pathological liar and he proved this once again tonight," the Congress leader said.
He challenged the PM to bring a Bill to implement women's reservation in the existing set up of the Lok Sabha.
"The Prime Minister ended his speech with saying that there was a 'waqt ka intezaar' for women's reservation. There is no need for a muhurat to give India's women their due. The Indian National Congress challenges the Prime Minister to move a bill in the Parliament tomorrow to implement women's reservation within the existing set up of the Lok Sabha," Ramesh said.
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