Women’s Reservation Bill tabled in LS; triggers heated debate

New Delhi: The Centre on Thursday introduced the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha, marking a significant legislative move during the ongoing special session of Parliament.

Union Minister for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal initiated the debate by presenting the proposed Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026. He also tabled the Delimitation Bill, 2026, setting the stage for discussions on implementing a one-third reservation for women in legislative bodies.

During the proceedings, Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduced the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, adding to the legislative agenda of the day.

The introduction of the Bills triggered strong reactions from the Opposition. Congress MP K. C. Venugopal opposed all three legislations and formally recorded the party’s objections in the House.

“The government wants to completely hijack the Constitution,” the Congress MP said. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Home Minister Amit Shah clarified that the Bills have just been introduced and the discussion on them is yet to follow.

As Venugopal continued to speak at length, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla intervened, reminding him that adequate time would be allotted during the debate.

Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav also objected to the Bills, raising concerns over what he described as the exclusion of Muslim women from the reservation framework.

Rijiju immediately countered the remark, terming it “unconstitutional”.

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said his party supports women’s reservation in principle but questioned the government over delays in conducting the Census.

He remarked, “They are delaying the census because when it happens, we will ask for the caste-based census, and they don’t want it.”

Responding to the charge, Amit Shah said, “The Census process has already started across the country, and after that, we will also conduct a caste-based census. Currently, the House Listing is underway; homes don’t belong to a certain caste. If SP has its way, they will designate a caste to homes also.”

The Home Minister also criticised Dharmendra Yadav’s remarks, calling them “unconstitutional” and asserting that the Constitution does not permit discrimination on religious grounds in matters of reservation.

Akhilesh Yadav, in turn, described Shah’s comments regarding the Muslim community as “undemocratic”. Replying sharply, Shah said, “We are not stopping the Samajwadi Party from giving all their tickets to Muslim women.”

The debate in the Lok Sabha is expected to continue, with both the government and the Opposition preparing to press their positions on the proposed amendments and the broader issue of women’s representation in legislatures.

IANS