The Opposition in the Lok Sabha criticized the government vehemently regarding three proposed Bills concerning women’s reservation, labeling the Delimitation Bill as a significant threat to India’s federal framework. Members of the Opposition donned black attire and recited verses during their protest.
Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal introduced the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, along with the Delimitation Bill, 2026, while Union Home Minister Amit Shah presented the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The Opposition contended that the introduction of these Bills under Rule 72 of the Lok Sabha’s procedural guidelines was inappropriate.
Congress MP K C Venugopal condemned the Delimitation Bill as “anti-Constitution” and an assault on the federal structure, recalling that former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee had previously safeguarded states during delimitation processes. He accused the current government of attempting to undermine these protections, asserting, “Your intention is very clear… to hijack democracy,” and called for the withdrawal of the Bills.
This statement elicited strong responses from the Treasury benches, with Amit Shah and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju arguing that the Opposition focused solely on technicalities rather than the substance of the Bills during their introduction.
Dharmendra Yadav, a member of the Samajwadi Party, clarified that his party supports women’s reservation but accused the government of attempting to manipulate the Constitution. He insisted that women from Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Muslim communities should also be included in the reservation framework for Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
Shah and Rijiju countered his claim by emphasizing that the Constitution does not endorse religion-based reservations. Shah provocatively suggested that the Samajwadi Party should allocate all seats to Muslim women and mentioned that a caste count would occur in the upcoming Census 2027.
Other Opposition figures, including TMC’s Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, RSP’s N K Premachandran, DMK’s T R Baalu, AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi, and CPI(M)’s K Radhakrishnan, also voiced their objections to the Bills. Owaisi quoted a couplet from Sahir Ludhianvi to emphasize his views.
DMK MPs dressed in black to protest against the Delimitation Bill, capturing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s attention. Modi acknowledged the gesture, referring to the cultural practice of applying a black mark to avert the evil eye during auspicious events, and thanked them for their symbolic act.
After a heated 40-minute debate, the Prime Minister was absent when the Bill was introduced. The Opposition called for a division of votes on the Constitutional (131st Amendment) Bill, which ultimately passed with 251 votes in favor and 185 against.
During the voting process, several Opposition members, including Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, utilized paper ballots to record their votes. While the counting took place, Gandhi was seen conversing with DMK MP Kanimozhi and later with Akhilesh Yadav and Dimple Yadav.
Following the introduction of the Bills, Meghwal proposed a motion to suspend the stipulation in Rule 66 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Lok Sabha, which typically requires that the second Bill can only be considered after the first has been passed and approved by the President.
Harikishan Sharma, Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express’ National Bureau, focuses on governance, policy, and data reporting. He covers significant ministries and the Prime Minister’s Office, providing insights through his work and his weekly column “STATE-ISTICALLY SPEAKING” on The Indian Express website, which delves into socio-economic and political data.
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