‘How Can TMC Support Women?’: Smriti Irani Targets Opposition Over Quota Bill Defeat

After the failure of the Women’s Reservation (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha, senior BJP leader Smriti Irani sharply criticised opposition parties—including the Trinamool Congress (TMC)—with remarks like “How can TMC claim to support women?”

What Smriti Irani said

• She accused opposition parties of “celebrating” or supporting the defeat of a bill that aimed to provide 33% reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies.
• Her argument is essentially political: if parties claim to support women’s empowerment, they should have backed the bill instead of opposing it.

Context: Why the bill failed

• The bill needed a two-thirds majority but fell short (around 298 in favour vs 230 against).
• It proposed reserving one-third of seats for women but was linked to delimitation (redrawing constituencies), which became the biggest point of dispute.

Opposition’s (including TMC’s) stance

• Opposition parties said they support women’s reservation in principle, but opposed this specific bill because:
• It tied implementation to delimitation, which they fear could alter political balance across states.
• Some called it a political strategy rather than genuine empowerment.

BJP’s broader attack

• BJP leaders, including the Prime Minister, have accused TMC and others of “betraying women” by blocking the bill.
• The ruling side is framing the issue as intent vs obstruction, using it as a political campaign point.

Bottom line
Smriti Irani’s remark is part of a larger political narrative battle:
Opposition’s claim: The bill itself was flawed and politically motivated, not genuinely about women’s empowerment.
BJP’s claim: Opposition (including TMC) blocked a historic pro-women reform.