NewKerala.com

Amit Shah vs Akhilesh Yadav: Clash Over Women's Reservation & Census in LS

A sharp exchange occurred in the Lok Sabha between Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the process for implementing women's reservation. Yadav accused the government of rushing the bill and demanded a census and caste census be completed first. Shah countered that the census process has begun and firmly stated that providing reservation based on religion is unconstitutional. The government introduced several bills, including a constitutional amendment, aiming to pass the women's reservation legislation during a special parliament session.

Key Points: Amit Shah Rejects Religion-Based Reservation as Unconstitutional

  • Shah rejects religion-based quota
  • Yadav demands census before women's bill
  • Govt begins caste census process
  • SP opposes delimitation-linked bills
3 min read

"Reservation based on religion unconstitutional": Amit Shah spars with Akhilesh Yadav in Lok Sabha

Lok Sabha sees heated debate as Amit Shah and Akhilesh Yadav spar over women's reservation bill, census, and delimitation. Read the full exchange.

"Reservation based on religion unconstitutional": Amit Shah spars with Akhilesh Yadav in Lok Sabha
"Reservation based on religion is unconstitutional. - Amit Shah"

New Delhi, April 16

A sharp political exchange unfolded in the Lok Sabha on Thursday as Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav questioned the Centre's urgency over the women's reservation Bill and demanded completion of the census before moving ahead with delimitation-related proposals.

Addressing the Lower House of the parliament, Yadav said, "Why are you in such a hurry. Why is the Centre rushing for women's reservation? Start with the Census first. Samajwadi Party is for women's reservation, but is opposed to the approach via delimitation. As soon as the census is done, we will ask for the caste census, and then the reservation issue will come. Hence, you want to do dhokha with us (cheat us.)"

In response to Yadav, Union Home Minister Amit Shah strongly rejected any proposal for religion-based reservation, stating in the Lok Sabha that such a provision would be unconstitutional.

He asserted that a reservation cannot be granted based on religion.

Shah said, "Akhilesh Yadav asked why the census is not being conducted. I want to inform the entire country that the census process has already begun. The government has taken a decision to conduct a caste census, and the enumeration is being carried out along with caste data. If it were up to the Samajwadi Party, they would even assign castes to households. Dharmendra Yadav spoke about giving reservations to Muslim women. This is unconstitutional. Reservation based on religion is unconstitutional."

Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav opposed all three bills introduced by the government in the Lok Sabha, while asserting that his party is a strong supporter of women's reservation.

"We oppose the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 and Delimitation Bill, 2026...There is no other party which is a bigger supporter of women's reservation," he said.

The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026 and the Delimitation Bill, 2026, were introduced by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, by Home Minister Amit Shah.

The government has convened a special sitting of Parliament on April 16,17,18 to pass the amendment to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.

The Law Minister is also slated to move a proposal in the Lok Sabha to suspend the provisions of Rule 66 with the objective of passing the Women's Reservation Amendment Bill and the Delimitation Bill together.

The motion states that the this House "do suspend the proviso to rule 66 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha in its application to the motions for taking into consideration and passing of the Delimitation Bill, 2026 and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 in as much as these are dependent upon the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-first Amendment) Bill, 2026".

The government has been seeking opposition support for passing the amendment bill to implement the women's reservation bill from the 2029 Lok Sabha polls on the basis of the 2011 census.

- ANI

Share this article:

Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Why is the government rushing the women's reservation bill without a proper census? Akhilesh Yadav has a point. How can delimitation be fair based on 13-year-old data? We need current population figures to ensure equitable representation. The process should be transparent and based on facts, not political convenience.
A
Aman W
This political sparring while important issues wait is frustrating. Both sides are playing to their vote banks. Just get the census done and implement women's reservation without further delay. Indian women have waited long enough for their rightful share in Parliament. 🙏
S
Sarah B
As an observer, I find the constitutional debate fascinating. The Indian constitution's secular framework clearly prohibits religion-based quotas. The caste census data will be crucial for evidence-based policy making. Hope the process moves forward without further political obstruction.
K
Karthik V
The government says census has begun, but where are the details? There's a lack of clarity that fuels suspicion. If they're conducting caste census simultaneously, they should share the methodology and timeline publicly. Transparency would build trust across party lines.
N
Nisha Z
Respectfully, I think the Home Minister is conflating two issues. Discussing reservation for Muslim women (who may be from backward classes) is not the same as religion-based reservation. The Supreme Court has clarified this in past judgments. The debate needs more nuance.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50