A fierce political confrontation was witnessed in the Lok Sabha on Thursday when Congress MP KC Venugopal opposed the introduction of the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, the Union Territory Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 and the Delimitation Bill, 2026, leading to a heated debate between the opposition and the ruling party.
Addressing the lower house of Parliament, Venugopal said, “I oppose the bill introduced by Union ministers Arjun Ram Meghwal and Amit Shah. This bill is a fundamental attack on the Indian federal structure. What is the real purpose of this bill? Parliament has ensured 33 percent reservation for women by passing this bill in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.”
Responding swiftly and firmly, Union Home Minister Amit Shah hit back and insisted that Venugopal could not question the merits of the bills at the stage of their introduction and was limited to raising only technical objections.
Shah further said that the government will give a ‘strong reply’ to the opposition during the debate.
Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal proposed to introduce the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha. Home Minister Amit Shah proposed to introduce the Union Territory Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha. Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal proposed to introduce the Delimitation Bill, 2026 in the Lok Sabha.
The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026 and Delimitation Bill, 2026 are expected to be introduced by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and the Union Territory Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 by Home Minister Amit Shah.
The government has called a special session of Parliament on April 16, 17 and 18 to pass amendments to the Nari Shakti Vandan Act.
The Law Minister is also to move a motion to suspend the provisions of Rule 66 in the Lok Sabha with the aim of simultaneously passing the Women’s Reservation Amendment Bill and the Delimitation Bill.
The motion states that this House “suspend the proviso to rule 66 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Lok Sabha in relation to motions for consideration and passing of the Delimitation Bill, 2026 and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, being dependent on the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026”.
The government is seeking the opposition’s support to pass an amendment bill to implement the Women’s Reservation Bill from the 2029 Lok Sabha elections based on the 2011 census.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had urged opposition parties to support this amendment to ensure that reservation for women is implemented by the 2029 general elections.
“This is the wish of every sister and daughter of this country, and we have to fulfill it unanimously,” she said at an event in Dehradun on Tuesday.