SRINAGAR: The Centre on Thursday introduced the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha, triggering a heated exchange in the ongoing special session of Parliament.
Union Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal moved the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, which seeks to provide one-third reservation for women in legislative bodies. The accompanying Delimitation Bill, 2026 was also placed in the House to facilitate implementation of the proposed quota.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah also introduced the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, as part of the broader legislative agenda.
The introduction of the bills drew strong objections from Opposition members. Congress MP K.C. Venugopal opposed the proposals and recorded dissent, alleging that the government was undermining constitutional principles.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Home Minister Amit Shah clarified that the bills had only been introduced and would be taken up for detailed discussion later. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla assured members that sufficient time would be allotted for debate.
During the proceedings, Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav raised concerns over representation issues, including alleged exclusion of Muslim women from the proposed framework, a charge rejected by the government as unconstitutional.
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav supported the principle of women’s reservation but questioned delays in conducting the Census, stating that it was being avoided amid demands for a caste-based enumeration.
Responding to the debate, Amit Shah said the Census process had already begun and that caste enumeration would follow, adding that the Constitution does not permit discrimination on religious grounds.
The House witnessed sharp exchanges between the treasury and Opposition benches, with discussions on the bills set to continue.
The Women’s Reservation Bill, introduced as the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 on April 16, 2026, aims to implement 33 percent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. It proposes increasing the Lok Sabha’s maximum strength to 850 seats and initiates a new delimitation process based on the recently conducted Census, likely to be implemented by 2029.
