Modi’s women’s quota weapon has boomeranged: Stalin

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin on Sunday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi tried to use the women’s reservation issue as a political “weapon” against Opposition parties during elections, but the move has “boomeranged” on him.

Addressing an election rally, Stalin criticised Modi’s televised address to the nation on April 18, saying it resembled a partisan speech rather than that of a prime minister.

“It would be apt to describe that address as BJP leader Modi’s political speech rather than saying that it was the prime minister’s address,” he said.

‘Blatant violation of rules’

Stalin alleged that despite the Model Code of Conduct being in force due to ongoing polls, the Prime Minister used an official platform to attack Opposition parties.

“What must have been spoken in an election rally has been spoken by the prime minister in an official government address, and this is a blatant violation of rules,” he claimed.

He further said Modi’s remarks reflected pressure after what he described as the government’s first major parliamentary defeat on the women’s reservation-related constitutional amendment bill.

The DMK chief alleged that the Centre introduced the Bill during elections to divert attention from the contentious delimitation issue.

However, he said the strategy had the opposite effect.

“The people of the southern states are on the boil, and a huge defeat has been confirmed for his (NDA) alliance,” Stalin said.

‘Damage control’ politics

Stalin accused Modi of attempting “damage control” by blaming Opposition parties for stalling women’s reservation.

“In order to do damage control, Modi has been trying to unfairly target the Opposition parties… Even this has not worked,” he said.

“The weapon that he tried to aim at us during polls has boomeranged on him,” Stalin added.

Sharp political attack

Escalating his criticism, Stalin claimed the NDA had already suffered a decisive setback in Parliament.

“The NDA’s chapter was closed on April 17. We have made the NDA bite the dust in Parliament, where it has a majority,” he said.

He added that the BJP’s prospects in Tamil Nadu were weak, asserting that the party “does not have even a toehold” in the state.

The remarks come amid heightened political tensions over the women’s reservation Bill and its linkage with delimitation, an issue that has triggered strong reactions from several southern states.

Stalin’s comments underline the intensifying political battle ahead of elections, with both sides accusing each other of politicising the women’s quota issue.