Lok Sabha Debate Erupts Over Clubbing Of Delimitation, Women’s Bill

A debate broke out in the Lok Sabha on Thursday after the Opposition objected to the government’s decision to take up the Delimitation Bill alongside the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, for discussion and passage.

Congress MP KC Venugopal argued that combining the legislations was not an appropriate parliamentary practice.

Union Law Minister Arjun Meghwal tabled both the Constitution Amendment Bill and the Delimitation Bill, following an earlier round of voting in which Members of Parliament supported bringing the proposals forward for discussion.

Raising the issue in the House, Venugopal said, “This is against the rule. Here, one is the Constitution Amendment Bill, and the other two are not. Clubbing will not be a good practice. We cannot allow this; there are consequences. When the Constitution Amendment Bill is going to be defeated, what is the point?”

The Opposition maintained that combining a constitutional amendment with other legislative measures could set an undesirable precedent. It added that the move could complicate parliamentary procedures.

Responding to the concerns, Union Home Minister Amit Shah defended the government’s approach.

“The votes in a constitutional amendment are different compared to an amendment to a law,” he stated.

The Minister said the introduction of multiple Bills was part of a broader legislative plan. He added that the plan aims to effectively implement women’s reservation.

“After the Bill on Constitution amendment, to take the women’s reservation to its logical end, the other two Bills are important. Hence, they introduced them together,” he added.

Shah further noted that discussions on all three Bills revolve around the same subject, justifying their simultaneous consideration.

He also cited precedent, saying, “This has happened several times in the past as well,” referring to the passage of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam in 2023 when the Opposition agreed to a combined discussion.

Taking a swipe at the Opposition, Shah remarked, “They have come here with a decision to oppose everything, so they are opposing everything.”

Also Read: Amit Shah, Akhilesh Yadav Clash In Lok Sabha Over Women’s Bill, Census Row