War on women’s reservation breaks out in Lok Sabha, Amit Shah’s sharp counterattack on Akhilesh Yadav

News India Live, Digital Desk: During the special session of Parliament today (16 April 2026), there was a vigorous debate in the Lok Sabha between the ruling party and the opposition regarding Women’s Reservation (131st Constitutional Amendment Bill) and Delimitation Bill 2026. The heated war of words between Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav increased the temperature of the House. Akhilesh Yadav’s question: ‘Census first, reservation later’ SP chief Akhilesh Yadav cornered the central government by raising questions on the ‘haste’ in implementing the Women’s Reservation Bill: Demand for caste census: Akhilesh said that how can the government implement reservation without census? He alleged that the government was avoiding caste census.Issue of Muslim women: He raised the question whether Muslim women will also get reservation within the reservation limit of 50%?Backdoor: Akhilesh called it a way of bringing “delimitation through the backdoor” and said that the government is misleading women.Amit Shah’s befitting reply: ‘Religion-based reservation is unconstitutional’Retorting to Akhilesh Yadav’s allegations, Home Minister Amit Shah made the government’s stand clear. Did: Clarification on census: Shah assured the House that the census process has started and it will also include caste-based enumeration. Taking a jibe at SP, he said, “Right now the listing of houses is going on; there is no caste in the houses. If SP has its way, then they will allot caste to the houses too.”Religion and Reservation: On the demand of separate quota for Muslim women, Shah took a tough stance and said that no one can be allotted caste on the basis of religion. Any kind of reservation is unconstitutional and the Constitution of India does not allow it. Open challenge: He told Akhilesh, “We are not stopping SP from giving all its tickets to Muslim women, you are free to do so.” 251 votes were cast in favor, while 185 votes were cast in opposition. Objective: Through this law, the aim is to ensure 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and Assemblies by the 2029 general elections.