Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday urged all political parties to support the women’s reservation bill. During his Red Fort speech on Independence Day, PM Modi said women’s reservation is the ‘need of the hour’ to ensure 33 per cent representation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies. The Congress, however, questioned why the NDA couldn’t pass a law and implement the women’s reservation policy in 12 years.

PM Modi highlighted the contribution of women representatives in panchayats, municipalities and municipal Corporations. He said the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam was passed in Parliament with the aim of strengthening women’s representation in politics.

PM Modi in his speech at the Red Fort said, “My dear fellow citizens, today in Panchayats, Municipalities, and Municipal Corporations, our women public representatives are guiding the nation in very large numbers, solving local challenges, and providing exceptionally capable and empowering leadership. Keeping this in mind, we passed the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam in Parliament. But for one reason or another, in the political arena over the last 40 years, this dream had persistently fallen victim to political games and political battlegrounds.”

“I earnestly appeal to all political parties of our nation: Come forward and celebrate the strength and capability of our women. Step forward in honour of our women, and as swiftly as possible, ensure our mothers and sisters receive 33% representation in the State Legislative Assemblies and the Lok Sabha so that they can actively contribute to shaping India’s policies,” he said.

VIDEO | Independence Day 2026: Addressing the nation from ramparts of Red Fort, PM Modi (@narendramodi) says, “In the last 12 years, defence production grew 4 times, electronic manufacturing grew 7 times, railway coach production grew 21 times, mobile phone production grew 33… pic.twitter.com/PHnPEx7ILe

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 15, 2026

Congress says ‘who stopped PM Modi to make reservation a reality’

Taking a dig at PM Modi’s call to ensure the women’s reservation Bill gets passed, Congress spokesperson Ragini Nayak asked waht was stopping the PM from implementing women’s reservation. “The question of taking credit will arise only when women’s reservation is implemented. For 12 years, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a strong majority, who stopped him from making women’s reservation a reality? Even the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam passed in 2023 was linked to a census and delimitation,” she said.

VIDEO | Delhi: Congress spokesperson Ragini Nayak on PM Narendra Modi’s Independence Day speech, says, “The question of taking credit will arise only when women’s reservation is implemented. For 12 years, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a strong majority, who stopped him… pic.twitter.com/5weVBd2aEn

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 15, 2026

Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring went ahead a step and said since women are equal stakeholders in a democracy, 50% reservation can be given to them.

VIDEO | Chandigarh: On PM’s address to the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the country’s 80th Independence Day, Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring says, “During the Congress government, we had provided 50 per cent reservation for women in… pic.twitter.com/OmKmVgQCud

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 15, 2026

The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, was passed by both Houses of Parliament but could not move ahead with implementation after the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill fell in the Lok Sabha on April 17.

The Bill failed to secure the required two-thirds majority of members present and voting. It proposed the implementation of 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures, along with delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies.

PM Modi sets target of making 6 crore women ‘Lakhpati Didis’

Prime Minister Modi also set a target of making 6 crore women ‘Lakhpati Didis’, saying the initiative would bring major transformation to the rural economy through women’s empowerment.

Addressing the nation from the Red Fort on India’s 80th Independence Day, Modi said the government had already surpassed its target of making three crore women ‘Lakhpati Didis’.

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The Lakhpati Didi initiative is a flagship government programme under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana National Rural Livelihoods Mission. It aims to help women in Self-Help Groups achieve a sustainable annual household income of at least Rs 1 lakh.