Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the Opposition, including the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Indian National Congress, accusing them of "celebrating" the defeat of the Women's Reservation (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha and said it had "exposed their true and ugly face."

Modi was addressing a large public gathering in Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh, after inaugurating the Ganga Expressway — one of the country's largest expressways and the longest green-corridor expressway in the state.

Attack on Opposition Over Women's Reservation Bill

Referring to the Bill by its formal name, the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, Modi said the NDA government had introduced it in Parliament to secure reservations for women in State Legislative Assemblies and the Lok Sabha starting from the 2029 elections. "A significant number of our mothers and sisters would have reached Delhi and Lucknow as Members of Parliament and Legislators, and this would have happened without reducing the number of seats available to any other section of society. Yet, the Samajwadi Party voted against this amendment bill," he said.

Modi further alleged that parties like the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) opposed the Bill because they objected to Uttar Pradesh gaining more seats under the proposed delimitation. "We had stated clearly in Parliament that the number of seats for all states would increase in a proportionate manner. However, parties like the DMK, which engage in politics by disparaging UP, objected to the fact that the number of seats allocated to UP would increase. Observe how the Samajwadi Party, in Parliament, was echoing their very sentiments," he added.

Ganga Expressway Inauguration and Development Push

The occasion for Modi's address was the inauguration of the Ganga Expressway, whose foundation stone was laid in December 2021 and completed in less than five years. Modi described it as emblematic of the BJP's "double-engine government" model of governance. "This expressway is not merely a high-speed road; it serves as a gateway to new possibilities, new avenues, and new opportunities... It is set to transform the lives of millions of people across these regions," he said.

He also cited the recent inauguration of the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway and the Noida International Airport, stressing that these infrastructure milestones were "the lifelines of Viksit Bharat."

UP's Economic Transformation

Modi highlighted Uttar Pradesh's ambition to become a one-trillion-dollar economy, contrasting its current trajectory with its past reputation as a "backward" and "Bimaru" state. He pointed out that UP now has 21 airports — including 5 international airports — and the highest number of expressways in the country. "Previously, even travelling to a neighbouring district used to be an arduous task," he said, adding that the state is now being positioned as a manufacturing hub.

Criticism of Past Governance

Taking direct aim at earlier state administrations, Modi alleged that SP leaders "were accustomed to dividing the resources among themselves" and are now "unhappy with UP's progress as the power has slipped from their grasp." He accused them of seeking to "drag UP back into the dark era of the past" and "divide and fracture society all over again."

He also invoked the state's cultural heritage, calling UP "the sacred land of Lord Ram and Lord Krishna" and contrasting its past "Jungle Raj" with what he described as an exemplary law and order situation today.

With the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections on the horizon, Modi's remarks signal that the Women's Reservation Bill and infrastructure development will remain central planks of the BJP's political narrative in the state.