“17 April will be remembered as Black Day”: Himanta Biswa Sarma after opposition defeats Constitution Amendment Bill in LS

New Delhi [India], April 17 (ANI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday criticised the opposition for voting against the Constitutional Amendment Bill, asserting that the day will be remembered as a "black day".
In a post on X, Sarma said that the opposition, led by Congress, has proven that they are anti-women.
"17 April will always be remembered as a Black Day. The Opposition led by Congress has proven that they are ANTI WOMEN. Shame," he said.
Echoing Sarma's sentiments, Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) MP Chirag Paswan said, "The opposition has made one thing clear today that the INDIA alliance is an anti-women alliance...The opposition will suffer huge losses due to this in the coming days. We do not need to protest. Half the population will oppose it themselves. We will not rest until we implement women's reservation..."
The Constitution Amendment Bill for the implementation of Women's Reservation from the 2029 general elections was defeated in the Lok Sabha on Friday, with the opposition parties voting against it.
A Constitution Amendment Bill is passed if it gets the support of not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting.
In the division that took place following the debate on the three bills, 298 members supported the bill while 230 voted against it.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announced the results of the division.
"The Constitution (131st Amendment) Amendment Bill did not pass as it did not achieve a 2/3 majority during voting in the House," he said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah also lambasted the opposition, including Congress, DMK and Samajwadi Party, after the Constitution Amendment Bill was defeated in the Lok Sabha on Friday.
In a post on X, Shah described the opposition's behaviour as "beyond imagination."He said that it is truly "reprehensible" and "beyond imagination" to see Opposition parties celebrating, raising victory after the bill that would grant 33 per cent reservation to women was defeated in the Lower House.
"Today, a very strange scene unfolded in the Lok Sabha. The Congress, TMC, DMK, and Samajwadi Party did not allow the passage of the essential Constitution Amendment Bill for the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam. Rejecting the bill that would grant 33% reservation to women, celebrating it, and raising victory cries over it is truly reprehensible and beyond imagination," Amit Shah said.
Shah said that the mindset of the Congress and its allied parties is neither in the interest of women nor of the country.
"Now, the women of the country will not get the 33% reservation in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, which was their right. The Congress and its allies have done this not for the first time, but repeatedly. Their mindset is neither in the interest of women nor of the country," he said. (ANI)