- Lok Sabha heated debate on three major bills introduced.
- Minister Amit Shah countered Congress’s objections on bills.
- Census process underway with caste enumeration included.
- Parliament session convened for key legislative changes.
Lok Sabha Debate: A heated political face-off unfolded in the Lok Sabha on April 16 between Congress MP K. C. Venugopal and Union Home Minister Amit Shah as the former opposed the introduction of three major bills, triggering sharp exchanges between the Opposition and the government. The proposed legislations—the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, the Delimitation Bill, 2026, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026—have become flashpoints in Parliament.
Amit Shah Pushes Back On Opposition Objections
Responding to Venugopal’s objections, Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserted that the Congress leader “could not question the merits of the Bills at the stage of introduction and was limited only to raising technical objections.” He added that the government would provide a “strong reply” during the detailed debate stage.
Amit Shah, said, “To take the Women’s Reservation Bill to a logical end, these two laws are necessary, that is why these two laws have been brought together. The opposition is opposing the bills because they had decided to oppose everything in their meeting.”
The exchange highlighted procedural disagreements as well as deeper political divisions over the proposed reforms, which aim to reshape India’s electoral landscape.
Census Debate, Caste Enumeration Take Centre Stage
The debate expanded when Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav raised concerns over the delay in conducting the national census. Shah responded by stating that the process is already underway and will include caste-based enumeration.
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.”
He further added that Dharmendra Yadav’s demand for reservations for Muslim women was unconstitutional, reiterating that “reservation based on religion is unconstitutional.”
Shah clarified that Census 2027 is underway and will include caste enumeration. “Right now houses are being counted, and houses don’t have castes. When the population is counted, there will be a column of caste,” he explained.
Key Bills Introduced Amid Special Parliament Session
Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal formally moved the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026 and the Delimitation Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha, while Amit Shah introduced the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
The developments come during a special Parliament session scheduled from April 16 to 18, convened to push forward key legislative changes, including amendments tied to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.
Rule 66 Suspension Clears Path For Combined Passage
In a significant procedural move, Meghwal also proposed suspending provisions of Rule 66 of the Lok Sabha’s rules of procedure. The aim is to facilitate the simultaneous consideration and passage of the Delimitation Bill and the Union Territories amendment alongside the constitutional amendment.
The motion stated that the House “do suspend the proviso to Rule 66… 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 inasmuch as these are dependent upon the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026.”
The government is seeking Opposition backing to ensure the passage of the amendment, which is expected to operationalise women’s reservation in the Lok Sabha from 2029, based on the 2011 Census framework.
