Mumbai, Apr 18 (PTI) The Opposition in Maharashtra on Saturday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the nation, alleging that it was filled with “false claims” and that he made no mention of delinking delimitation from women’s reservation.

Congress leaders Harshvardhan Sapkal and Nana Patole, NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar, and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi said the speech focused on attacking rivals.

Sapkal, who is the Maharashtra Congress president, claimed that it was filled with “propaganda” and “false claims” targeting the Congress.

In a statement, Sapkal said that instead of addressing key national issues, the PM devoted a significant portion of his speech to attacking the Congress.

Sapkal claimed that Modi mentioned Congress “58 times during his 30-minute address”, delivered a day after a bill to implement 33 per cent women’s reservation in legislatures in 2029 was defeated in the Lok Sabha.

He also rejected the PM’s assertion that Congress had opposed initiatives such as the JAM (Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile) trinity and the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

The Congress leader said Aadhaar was launched in 2010 in Maharashtra’s Nandurbar, under the leadership of former PM Manmohan Singh and Congress leader Sonia Gandhi. He further claimed that the GST framework was advanced under the Congress-led government, and alleged that Modi, as Gujarat chief minister at the time, had opposed it.

The Congress leader also demanded immediate implementation of the ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Act’, which was passed in September 2023 with support from opposition parties.

Alleging that the Centre was attempting to introduce constituency delimitation under the guise of women’s reservation, Sapkal said such a move could alter the electoral structure and undermine constitutional principles.

He demanded that the PM apologise to women, accusing the BJP-led government of “misleading” them on reservation.

His colleague Nana Patole claimed that the reactions on social media during the PM’s address to the nation indicated widespread public dissatisfaction. “A majority of people” were critical of the prime minister, he claimed.

Referring to the issue of the women’s quota bill, Patole questioned the government’s handling of the matter, saying it had contributed to public anger. He claimed the PM looked “angry” during his address.

NCP (SP) general secretary and MLA Rohit Pawar said no one in the world is as skilled as the BJP at turning their defeats into political advantage.

“Today’s speech, which is miles away from the truth, looks like nothing but an attempt to cash in on yesterday’s defeat — trying to figure out whether they can still win power in the upcoming elections in Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal,” he alleged.

Pawar claimed that the ‘lotus’ (BJP symbol) won’t bloom in any of these three states.

“But the one real takeaway is this: after hearing the three major opposition parties mentioned four times each in today’s speech, my belief has become even stronger that DMK will come to power in Tamil Nadu, TMC will form the government in West Bengal, and the SP-Congress alliance will win in Uttar Pradesh (in 2027).

“And by 2029, the country will definitely side with the INDIA alliance once again,” he claimed.

Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi said it was deeply disappointing that PM Modi gave no assurance to women that the 2023 Act would be delinked from the Census and delimitation, making it implementable as early as 2029, as endorsed by all parties.

In a post on X, Chaturvedi said what is worse is that the national broadcaster was used to hit out at TMC and DMK. Both are engaged in a direct battle with the BJP and its allies in their upcoming state election.

“Deeply disappointing to hear the PM make no assurance to the women of this country of delinking the 2023 Act from Census and Delimitation so as to make it implementable as passed by all parties in 2029 itself," she said in a post on X.

Chaturvedi on Friday diverged from her party’s stand and rued the defeat of the Women's Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha, calling it a sad day for women who hoped to find themselves in Parliament or assemblies.

Modi on Saturday said opposition parties had “mercilessly crushed” the dreams of women by not allowing the women’s reservation bill to pass in Parliament despite the government’s best efforts.

In his address to the nation, a day after a bill to implement women’s reservation in legislatures was defeated in the Lok Sabha, Modi said the self-serving politics of parties like the Congress, the DMK, the TMC, and the Samajwadi Party had come at the expense of the nation's women.

He said the opposition parties had foiled efforts to grant 33 per cent reservation to women in legislatures. PTI MR PR NR