Gangtok, April 18 -- In a rare and emotionally charged address to the nation on Saturday evening, Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke his silence over one of Parliament's most dramatic legislative defeats - the fall of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, which sought to reserve 33% of Lok Sabha seats for women.

Speaking at 8:30 PM via video conferencing, Modi opened with an apology. "Despite our best efforts, we haven't succeeded. Amendments could not be made in the Nari Shakti Adhiniyam. I apologise to all the mothers and sisters of this nation," he said, setting the tone for what followed - a pointed, unflinching assault on the opposition.

The bill, which proposed expanding Lok Sabha strength from 543 to 816 seats and linkin...