LS showdown over women’s quota, delimitation bills: Centre, oppn trade barbs - who said what

NEW DELHI: A crisp showdown erupted betwixt the Centre and the Opposition successful the Lok Sabha connected Thursday, with some sides trading charges implicit the projected women’s preservation and delimitation bills, mounting the code for a heated peculiar league of Parliament.Union ministers Arjun Ram Meghwal and Amit Shah moved to present 3 bills successful the Lok Sabha amid beardown protests from Opposition members, who termed the proposals “anti-constitutional”.The Lok Sabha voted connected the instauration of the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, with 207 MPs supporting it and 126 voting against, aft Opposition members pressed for a division.The session, scheduled from April 16 to 18, is expected to absorption connected operationalising women’s preservation successful legislatures up of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, portion besides undertaking a wider restructuring of parliamentary constituencies.

What the 3 bills propose

Who said what:

Kiren Rijiju (BJP)

Union curate Kiren Rijiju outlined the timeline for the debate, indicating that the treatment would beryllium extended and could beryllium extended if required.“The treatment volition beryllium held for 12 hours. The talker should person the authorization to widen the clip for discussion. The voting connected the bills volition beryllium done tomorrow.”

Om Birla (Lok Sabha speaker)

Lok Sabha talker Om Birla provided further clarity connected the schedule, stating that the statement could tally longer than initially planned and confirming the timing for voting.

“Discussion connected these 3 bills volition beryllium held for 15-18 hours. Voting connected these bills volition beryllium done astatine 4 p.m. tomorrow.”

K C Venugopal (Congress)

Congress person K C Venugopal powerfully opposed the instauration of the bills, arguing that the changes undermine the national operation and questioning wherefore specified provisions were not included earlier erstwhile the women’s quota instrumentality was passed. He termed the determination unconstitutional and raised concerns implicit its intent.“I entity to the measure introduced by Union Ministers Arjun Ram Meghwal and Amit Shah. This measure is simply a cardinal onslaught connected the Indian national structure. What precisely is the volition of this bill?”

Akhilesh Yadav (Samajwadi Party)

Samajwadi Party main Akhilesh Yadav backed women’s preservation successful rule but questioned the urgency down the bills. He argued that the authorities should archetypal behaviour a Census earlier proceeding with delimitation-linked reforms, highlighting concerns implicit outdated colonisation data.“Why is the authorities successful a hurry? We are successful favour of Women's Reservation Bill. They don't privation the census due to the fact that past we volition request caste reservation, you privation to mislead.”

Dharmendra Yadav (Samajwadi Party)

Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav opposed each 3 bills, reiterating enactment for women’s preservation but objecting to its linkage with delimitation. He stressed that his enactment remains committed to preservation portion questioning the legislative attack adopted by the government, reported ANI.“We reason the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 and Delimitation Bill, 2026... There is nary different enactment which is simply a bigger protagonist of women's reservation.”

Amit Shah (BJP)

Home curate Amit Shah deed backmost astatine the Opposition, stating that the Census process is already underway and volition see caste enumeration. He besides rejected demands for religion-based reservation, calling it unconstitutional.“I privation to pass the full state that the census process has already begun. The authorities has taken a determination to behaviour a caste census.”“Our Constitution doesn't let preservation connected the ground of religion… immoderate preservation to Muslims connected the ground of religion is unconstitutional.”"To instrumentality the Women's Reservation Bill to a logical end, these 2 laws are necessary, that is wherefore these 2 laws person been brought together.

The absorption is opposing the bills due to the fact that they had decided to reason everything successful their meeting."

Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM)

AIMIM main Asaduddin Owaisi powerfully opposed the Constitutional Amendment Bill, alleging that it violates federalism and the basal operation of the Constitution. He argued that the projected delimitation workout would disproportionately favour states with larger populations portion reducing the practice of confederate states and OBC communities.Owaisi besides questioned the legislative process, raising objections implicit procedural lapses successful introducing the measure and informing that the determination could distort India’s parliamentary democracy.“I reason this instauration of this Constitutional Amendment Bill due to the fact that it violates the Parliamentary signifier of ideology and federalism, which are some portion of the basal operation of the constitution. This is not astir women's reservation.

The main extremity is to regularisation South and to wholly erase the practice of OBCs from the legislature.”“Federalism is the basal operation of the Constitution. Removing the delimitation freeze, it gives much seats and powerfulness to the larger colonisation portion denying a just dependable to the smaller population.”

Arjun Ram Meghwal (BJP)

Union instrumentality curate Arjun Ram Meghwal defended the bills, stating that the projected amendments are aimed astatine implementing women’s preservation successful a structured mode done delimitation, without reducing practice for immoderate state.

He emphasised that the enlargement of Lok Sabha seats would guarantee capable abstraction for the quota portion maintaining equilibrium crossed regions.“The women’s preservation measure was passed successful 2023, providing for implementing its provisions based connected census aft 2026 and delimitation. There volition beryllium an equal, 50 per cent summation successful the spot of Lok Sabha members, and this volition construe to 815 seats, of which 272 volition beryllium reserved for women, which comes to one-third of the spot of the House.

There volition beryllium nary nonaccomplishment to anyone (states), and they volition clasp their strength.

”

Gaurav Gogoi (Congress)

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi criticised the government, alleging that it was creating obstacles to hold the implementation of women’s preservation by linking it to delimitation. He argued that the quota could beryllium implemented instantly based connected the existent Lok Sabha spot and accused the Centre of utilizing the measure arsenic a backdoor way for delimitation.“You are again and again creating hurdles for women's reservation. If you had listened to america successful 2023, women's preservation would person been implemented successful 2024.”“Women's preservation should beryllium implemented connected existent spot of Lok Sabha — 543; it indispensable not beryllium linked to delimitation.”“This measure is not for women's reservation, but it is for delimitation done the backmost door.”