Several Opposition leaders on Saturday launched fresh barbs online against PM Narendra Modi for his fiery speech that called them "anti-women" for blocking the passage of the constitutional amendment bill for women's reservation in the Lok Sabha a day earlier.
In a brief, but loaded, speech, none of the Opposition parties were spared, as Modi attacked them for the "sin" of not standing for women's rights, which had left the women of the country "mercilessly crushed".
He had also stated that dynastic parties like the Congress and the DMK were too "selfish" to see the bill through, further accusing the national party of sabotaging important reforms throughout history.
Here is how the Opposition reacted to Modi's message to the nation:
"Achievements of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in Empowering Women!" the DMK's IT Cell wrote in an indirect X post with an infographic on the increase of reservations forwomen in government jobs and local bodies, while not mentioning PM Modi's speech.
"His niyat (intention) is anything but saaf (clear). 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 (respect for women) is sheer hypocrisy (given) the way he has conducted himself throughout his life," wrote Congress' media chief, Jairam Ramesh, in a long post on X.
"The Indian National Congress challenges the Prime Minister to introduce a bill in Parliament tomorrow itself to implement women's reservation under the existing structure," he added in a follow-up post.
"Narendra, the worst form of insulting women is to have used them as a DECOY* to try and pass the Delimitation Bill," wrote TMC MP Derek O'Brien in a brief, but sharp, post on X.
"(PM Modi) turned an official address to the nation, into a political speech, full of mudslinging, and outright LIES. The Model Code of Conduct is already in place and it was very clear how PM Modi misused official machinery to attack his opponents. This is a travesty of Democracy and the Constitution of India," Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge declared in an X post.
The IT Cell of the Samajwadi Party posted a video showing activist Licypriya Kangujam speaking out about violence in Manipur, blaming it on PM Modi and the BJP government.
"The scenes emerging daily from Manipur are heart-wrenching—don't these images shake you, or do you only know how to play politics? Is it just about cursing the opposition for life and washing away your BJP party's sins by hurling abuses at the opposition? Abusing the opposition won't cleanse the BJP's sins, sir—for that, you'll have to atone yourself," it wrote alongside the video.
"Delimitation Wrapped in a Sari ... BJP may be Chalu (cunning), but it overplayed its hand. This is beginning of its decline... We dare BJP to bring in 33 per cent reservation for women today," TMC MP Mahua Moitra declared in a video on X.