Introduction of Amendment Bills in Parliament
During the Special Session of Parliament on Thursday, three bills related to amendments in the Women's Reservation Law were introduced. The primary objective of these bills is to implement the reservation law for women by the year 2029. On top of that, the bills propose to increase the number of Members of Parliament in the Lok Sabha to 850. The introduction of these bills led to a massive uproar in the Lok Sabha, with the Samajwadi Party (SP) leading the opposition. During the proceedings, Union Home Minister Amit Shah responded to the queries raised by SP MP Akhilesh Yadav.
Parliamentary Proceedings and Voting Results
Following the introduction of the bills in the House, an attempt was made to pass them via voice vote. However, the opposition demanded a formal division of votes. Consequently, the Speaker allowed voting for the discussion on the bills. The government received the support of 251 MPs, while the opposition managed to secure 185 votes.
Schedule for Discussion and Final Voting
A specific timeline has been established for the deliberation of these bills in the House:
Opposition's Stance and Delimitation Concerns
The opposition voiced strong dissent against the Delimitation Bill. Congress MP KC Venugopal alleged that the government intends to 'hijack' the Constitution through these measures. Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav advocated for the inclusion of reservation for Muslim women within the proposed framework.
Amit Shah's Rebuttal to Samajwadi Party
Responding to the demands of the Samajwadi Party, Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated that providing reservation specifically for Muslim women is unconstitutional. He further remarked that if the Samajwadi Party wishes, they're free to give all their election tickets to Muslim women, noting that the government would have no objection to such a move by the party.