New Delhi [India], April 17 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday targeted the opposition parties over their stance on the bills to implement women's reservation from the 2029 general elections and said that when they fight the next elections, they will face the wrath of women.
Replying to the marathon debate in Lok Sabha on the three bills, Amit Shah accused the opposition parties of trying to create a south versus north narrative over delimitation and the proposed an increase in seats and said the southern states have as much right over this house as the northern states do.
"Mahilian dekh rahin hain, raste ka roda kaun hai (women are seeing who is the obstacle in their path). When they (opposition members) fight the polls, they will face the wrath of women," he said.
Referring to the strong reservations of opposition parties on the Delimitation Bill, Home Minister said that the Constitution provides for periodic delimitation.
"Delimitation also includes provisions for increasing the seats for SC and ST in proportion to their growing population. In a way, those opposing delimitation are also opposing the increase in SC and ST seats," he said.
"There are 127 seats where the constituency has more than 20 lakh. It goes against the spirit of the principle - One person, one vote and one value. At some places, 45 lakh voters have one representative, and at some places, six lakh voters have one representative. As a result, the value of each vote is not equal across constituencies," he added.
He said many members expressed concerns about why delimitation should be brought now.
Amit Shah said in 1976, the population of this country was 567.9 million, and today it is 1.4 billion.
"The opposition believes that the same number of MPs that existed for a population of 567.9 million should also be maintained for a population of 1.4 billion. In 1972, under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the government introduced the Delimitation Bill, which increased the number of parliamentary seats from 525 to 545 and then froze this number. In 1976, during the Emergency, the process of delimitation was formally suspended through the 42nd Amendment, again under Indira Gandhi's leadership," he said.
"At that time, the Congress government enacted laws to halt delimitation. Today, even while in opposition, the Congress party continues to oppose the resumption of delimitation. Thus, it was the Congress party that originally denied the people the benefits of delimitation, and it is the same party that continues to do so today," he added.
The Home Minister said some members raised questions about why the census was not conducted on time.
"Everyone knows that the census was supposed to happen in 2021, and in 2021 itself came the biggest pandemic crisis of this century, COVID, due to which the census could not be carried out. After the COVID crisis ended, it took the country quite some time to recover from it. When the census began in 2024, some parties rightly demanded that the census should be conducted on the basis of caste," he said.
"The government held discussions with numerous parties, caste groups, state governments, and several social groups, and decided that we will conduct a caste census. And after this decision, the census is now underway," he added.
He said the opposition is spreading misleading information. "The first is that this is being done to shelve the Caste Census. Let me make it clear that three months ago we had announced the timetable of the Caste Census. The census, according to caste, has already been started, and the first phase is on," he said.
Amit Shah said the government will not allow any attempt to create divisions between north and south.
"I make it clear that the southern states have as much right over this house as the northern states do. This country should not be divided by the north-south narrative".
The Union Minister alleged that "all members of INDI Alliance had, using if, but, ...opposed the bill" brought by the government to implement women's reservation from 2029 general elections.
Replying to the marathon debate in Lok Sabha on the three bills, Amit Shah said those opposing delimitation are actually opposing an increase in SC/ST seats.
"No one has objected to the women's reservation. But, if we see closely, all members of the INDI alliance have opposed it by using 'ifs and but'," he said.
Amit Shah said the government had brought three bills so that the Women's Reservation Act is implemented from 2029 Lok Sabha polls giving credence to the principle of one person, one vote, one value.
"The purpose of these three bills is...first, the constitutional amendment aimed at empowering women should be implemented in a time-bound manner so that the 2029 elections can be held with women's reservation; second, one person -- one vote -- one value... This principle, which is at the core of our Constitution and was determined by the Constituent Assembly, should be implemented in the spirit of that Constitution," he said.
Lok Sabha on Friday resumed discussion on the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, and the Delimitation Bill, 2026.
The discussion began yesterday afternoon and continued late into the night till 1.25 am.
The Home Minister had yesterday sought to allay apprehensions of opposition members about the Southern states losing their influence as a result of increase in seats in the Lok Sabha to implement the women's reservation Act and said while there will be about 50 per cent increase in their seats, the relative proportion in total seats will also move up.
"The biggest narrative being created is that these three bills, the Constitution Amendment Bill, bill on delimitation, and changes to the constituency election law, will harm the power of the South," he said.
"If we listen to the entire narrative created for the South, then out of the 543 seats created by you, 129 MPs currently sit in this House, which is approximately 23.76%. In the new House, 195 MPs will be sitting here, and their power will be 23.97%," he added.