In his scathing critique of the opposition, PM Modi asserted that they failed to stand up for the rights of Muslim women and highlighted their decades-long neglect of women’s development.
“If the opposition were genuinely concerned about women’s development, they would not have kept them deprived for decades,” PM Modi emphasized during his address.
The Prime Minister made specific reference to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (Women’s Reservation Bill), which reserved one-third of seats for women in Lok Sabha and State assemblies. He claimed that opposition parties had previously mocked his government’s efforts, including providing toilets for women and initiating the Jan Dhan Yojana, Ujjwala Yojana, and the law against ‘Triple Talaq’.
“These are the same people who mocked me when I spoke about toilets for women, and when I spoke about Jan Dhan’s accounts for women. They mocked the Ujjwala Yojana,” PM Modi stated.
Furthermore, he criticized the opposition for opposing the law against ‘Triple Talaq,’ emphasizing that their concern appeared to be more about their vote bank than the rights of Muslim women.
“When we were talking about liberating Muslim women from triple talaq, they were concerned about their political equations. They were not worried about the rights of Muslim women; they were only concerned about their vote bank. When the law against Triple Talaq was brought, why did they not stand for the rights of Muslim Women?” PM Modi questioned.
Before his address, Prime Minister Modi conducted a roadshow in Vadodara alongside Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. The roadshow drew a significant crowd of supporters, with a predominant presence of women who displayed placards to welcome PM Modi as he rode in an open-topped vehicle adorned with flowers.
Notably, a significant group of women led PM Modi’s convoy, eliciting cheers and chants from the local crowd.
Earlier on the same day, PM Modi delivered a keynote address commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit at Science City in Ahmedabad.