PM Modi says Opposition 'forced' to support Women's Reservation Bill fearing backlash

Speaking on the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill by 'record' votes in both houses of the Parliament, PM Narendra Modi on Saturday said those who used to oppose the Bill in the past were 'forced' to support it as they feared that there could be a backlash.

Speaking on the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill by 'record' votes in both houses of the Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said those who used to oppose the Bill in the past were 'forced' to support it as they feared that there could be a backlash.

“This law had been hanging fire for three decades but this time the political parties, which never got tired of opposing it in the past were forced to support it. This is the result of your (women) power, Modi said while addressing women in his Lok Sabha constituency of Varanasi.

Modi was apparently referring to the Samajwadi Party (SP) and some other parties, who had earlier opposed reservation for women.

''All parties are afraid of you (women). They are trembling and that is why they have supported the Bill,” he said.

Modi also said that the Bill was passed in both houses of the Parliament by record votes and that he had the 'honour' of ensuring it.

The prime minister also, without naming any political party, said that some of them had objections over the use of the word 'Vandan' (respect) in the nomenclature of the Bill. ''These parties don't understand that women have to be respected,'' he added.

The prime minister also cited Rani Lakshmibai, who had taken part in the first war of independence, and said that the women were not behind men in leading the Chandrayaan-3 mission.