A clash between the central government and opposition parties erupted in the Lok Sabha over the introduction of women’s reservation and delimitation laws. Three Bills – Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill to amend the Women’s Quota Act; the Delimitation Bill and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill were introduced in the House to implement the proposed amended Women’s Quota Act in the Union Territories of Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir, sparking a sharp political exchange between the Center and the Opposition.
The showdown unfolded after Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav questioned the Centre’s urgency on the Women’s Reservation Act and demanded the completion of the census before proceeding with proposals related to delimitation. Responding to Akhilesh Yadav, Amit Shah said that the census has already started in the country.
Akhikesh Yadav vs Amit Shah in Lok Sabha – Who Said What
Akhilesh Yadav, in his speech in the Lok Sabha, asked why the government was in such a hurry and why it was in a hurry for women’s reservation. He also asserted the party’s stance that it was in favor of women’s reservation but opposed to delimitation.
The Samajwadi Party chief said, “Why are you in such a hurry. Why is the Center in a hurry for women’s reservation? Start census first. Samajwadi Party is for women’s reservation but is against access through delimitation. Once census is done we will ask for caste census and then caste census (problem with reservations you want to do) Ha.”
“We support quota for women in the legislature, but why not conduct a census,” said Akhilesh Yadav.
Responding to Akhilesh Yadav, the home minister said, “Census 2027 is going on; we have decided to enumerate the caste”, arguing that reservation cannot be granted on the basis of religion.
Amit Shah said, “Akhilesh Yadav asked why the census is not being conducted. I want to inform the whole country that the census process has already started. The government has taken a decision to conduct the caste census and the census is being conducted along with the caste data.”
“If it was up to the Samajwadi Party, it would even assign castes to households. Dharmendra Yadav talked about giving reservation to Muslim women. This is unconstitutional. Reservation on the basis of religion is unconstitutional,” he said.
The government convened a special session of Parliament on 16 April 1718 to approve an amendment to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha on the three bills, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said, “The Women’s Reservation Act was passed in 2023, which provides for the implementation of its provisions on the basis of the post-2026 census and delimitation. There will be an equal, 50% increase in the membership of the Lok Sabha, which will translate to 815 women, of which 1 seat will be reserved for women. The House will be for none (the states) no loss and will retain their strength.’
