New Delhi, Apr 16: The Centre on Thursday tabled the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha, setting off a heated political debate during the ongoing special session of Parliament.
Union Minister for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal initiated the discussion by introducing the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, aimed at providing one-third reservation for women in legislative bodies. Alongside, the Delimitation Bill, 2026 was also placed before the House, laying the groundwork for implementation of the quota.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah further expanded the legislative agenda by tabling the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
The introduction of the bills drew sharp reactions from Opposition members, with Congress MP K.C. Venugopal opposing all three legislations and formally registering dissent in the House. He alleged that the government was attempting to undermine the Constitution.
Responding to the objections, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Home Minister Amit Shah clarified that the bills had only been introduced and detailed discussions would follow. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla also intervened, assuring adequate time for debate.
Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav raised concerns over the alleged exclusion of Muslim women from the reservation framework, a claim that was immediately rejected by Rijiju as unconstitutional.
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said his party supports women’s reservation in principle but questioned the delay in conducting the Census, stating that it was being avoided to sidestep demands for a caste-based census.
Replying to the concerns, Amit Shah said the Census process has already begun and a caste-based enumeration would follow. He also termed remarks suggesting religious bias in reservation as unconstitutional, asserting that the Constitution does not allow discrimination on religious grounds.
The debate witnessed sharp exchanges between the treasury and Opposition benches, with both sides standing firm on their positions as discussions on the proposed legislations are set to continue. (KNC)
