In the history of the Indian Republic, the ‘Address to the Nation’ has traditionally been treated as a solemn instrument of the state — a platform from which the prime minister rises above partisan contestation to speak to the collective conscience of the country.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 29-minute televised address on Saturday, 18 April, marked a disturbing departure from this democratic convention. Coming a day after the legislative collapse of the 131st Constitution Amendment Bill, the PM Modi appeared to convert the authority of his office into a campaign platform, substituting statesmanship with a sharp attack on the Opposition.

The government’s narrative framed the ‘Nari Shakti Vandan’ amendment as a ‘need of the hour’ for gender justice. Yet, the Bill’s failure to secure passage in the Lok Sabha on 17 April was widely viewed not as a rejection of women’s rights, but of the conditions attached to them.

By linking 33 per cent reservation to a large-scale delimitation exercise — one that could expand the Lok Sabha to over 800 seats — critics argued that the legislation functioned as........

© National Herald