A special session of Parliament on Thursday saw sharp exchanges in the Lok Sabha over three Bills linked to women’s reservation and delimitation, with leaders of the government and Opposition setting out their positions during the debate.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking in the Lok Sabha, urged the Opposition to support the bill without political considerations.
“Those who oppose the women quota bill will pay a price for a long time,” PM Modi said, noting “since women's reservation came into discussion, those who opposed this in the past, were not forgiven by the women of the country and they ended up badly in the elections that followed.”
PM Modi said that if all parties back the proposals, the outcome would benefit the nation rather than serve any one political group.
PM Modi said that the women’s reservation initiative should have been implemented when it was first proposed 25–30 years ago, adding that it has now been brought to a more mature stage.
Referring to India as the “Mother of Democracy,” he said the country’s democratic system has evolved over thousands of years and that members of the House now have a valuable opportunity to contribute a new chapter to that ongoing journey.
"The need was that when this idea was first conceived 25-30 years ago, and the need was felt, we should have implemented it, and today we have brought it to a mature stage. According to the need, it is also improved from time to time, and this is the beauty of democracy. Ours is the Mother of Democracy. Our democracy has been a development journey for thousands of years, and all of us in this House have the auspicious opportunity to add a new dimension to this development journey," he said.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav raised concerns over representation for OBC and Muslim women under the proposed framework.
Speaking during the special session of Parliament to discuss three Bills dealing with delimitation and women’s reservation, Akhilesh said, “We demand that the first census should be done. If they are not doing it, then they are cheating… Their secret people must have drawn the map.”
“I request that backwards, minorities and Muslims should be given reservation… You can’t achieve the goal of reservation if you don’t give Muslim women and Backward women reservation,” said the member of Lok Sabha from Kannauj.
Saying that the SP has always been in favour of women’s reservation, Akhilesh said the BJP “is trying to make nari (women) into a nara (slogan)”.
“The ones who never kept women in their organisation. The parental organisation you come from. I ask how many women are in that organisation?” asked Akhilesh, referring to the RSS.
Outside Parliament, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee linked the Bills to voter list concerns and raised questions over their intent during her campaign.
Addressing a poll rally at Mathabhanga in Cooch Behar district, Banerjee said attempts are being made to divide India by connecting the women's reservation and delimitation bills.
"Attempts are being made to divide India by linking women's reservation and delimitation bills. Connecting these bills is a conspiracy to delete voters' names and implement NRC," Mamata said.
Union ministers Arjun Ram Meghwal and Amit Shah moved to introduce three bills in Lok Sabha on Thursday to amend the women's quota law and set up a delimitation commission, while the Opposition questioned the move.
'The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026', 'The Delimitation Bill, 2026' and 'The Union Territories Laws (Amendment Bill, 2026)' were introduced in the House.
"The women's reservation bill was passed long ago, and why was there a delay in its implementation?" Mamata said. The TMC supremo said 37 per cent of her party’s elected MPs in the Lok Sabha are women.