The Opposition calls out Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Saturday night address to the nation as a violation of democratic norms, as it was given while elections are still scheduled in several states. The Opposition leaders called it a ‘politically motivated’ speech. PM addressed the delimitation issue and the Women’s Reservation Bill, which failed to get Lok Sabha clearance, calling out the Opposition parties for not ‘standing’ with the ‘naaris’ of the nation.
As per the Opposition’s point of view, PM’s address should be treated as a campaign speech, and its cost should be added to the BJP's election expenditure, alleging it was a misuse of official platforms, as the Model Code of Conduct is in force in many Indian states.
In a post on X, CPI(M) Rajya Sabha leader John Brittas said, "No PM has ever used a national address to openly criticise and target the opposition in this manner." He accused the prime minister of breaking a "long-standing democratic norm" with his address to the nation to criticise the Opposition.
"By directly attacking opposition over the Women's Reservation Bill and likening their actions to 'foeticide' and being 'anti-women', this speech has made it evident that the BJP is willing to go to any extent to undermine healthy parliamentary conventions and constitutional traditions. It's evident that the government has lost its balance after the drubbing it got in the Lok Sabha yesterday,” he said on X.
CPI Rajya Sabha MP P Sandosh Kumar called the address "hollow" and "devoid of any meaningful content."
"The Prime Minister has offered no explanation, no accountability, only repetition of a manufactured narrative meant to hide the government's own failure. This was not an address to the nation, but an attempt to deflect responsibility through rhetoric," he wrote as he accused the government of "blatant abuse" of the Model Code of Conduct in force in five states through the use of public broadcasters like Doordarshan and Sansad TV for partisan messaging, and termed it "deeply condemnable."
"By its own gazette notification dated 16 April 2026, the government has already operationalised women's reservation. If a reservation exists, what exactly was this political drama for? The crocodile tears shed today cannot conceal this calculated design,” he asked.
RJD Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha said Modi's address to the nation appeared in reality to be an "election speech."
"In such a situation, I would humbly request that it be added to his election expenditure. To uphold the dignity of both the Election Commission and the office of the Prime Minister, such speeches delivered using government resources should be included in the election expenses of the concerned party, that is, the BJP," he said in a post on X.
TMC leader Saket Gokhale challenged Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to "add the cost of Modi's TV speech tonight to BJP's election expense account" if he has the "guts."
"On a side note, a leader who is confident does not act so desperately. Modi's feeble attempt tonight in the middle of two state elections shows that he's shaken," he said, referring to it as a sign of the "impending downfall" of the prime minister and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
"They're both losing their grip, and it's showing clearly. Countdown begins, starting with Bengal," he added.
CPI(M) General Secretary MA Baby derided Modi's address as a "sorry face-saving attempt filled with mere rhetoric." He said it came "in the face of the utter humiliation suffered in the Lok Sabha" when the Constitution amendment bill was defeated by the opposition unity.
"Women's reservation in Parliament and the Legislative Assemblies can be and should be implemented right away, without any linkages to delimitation or the Census. Yet, the ruling government refused to introduce amendments to do the same, both in 2023 and now," he said on X.
He accused the prime minister of using "theatrics to hide the fact that he and his party were merely using women as pawns to execute a devious political strategy will not work. He stands truly exposed.”
What did PM say?
In his address on Saturday, the prime minister warned the Congress and its allies of severe punishment from the women for the "sin of foeticide." Modi apologised to the women and said the government may have lost the vote, but it will never give up its efforts to empower women.
The address was delivered in the wake of the defeat in the Lok Sabha of a Constitution Amendment Bill, brought by the government, to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats and implement 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures from 2029 under Nari Shakti Vandhan Adhiniyan.
"The Congress and its allies have committed foeticide of the honest effort in front of the entire country in the House. Parties like the Congress, DMK, TMC, and the SP are guilty of this foeticide," he said.
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