A day after the bill seeking amendments in Women’s Reservation Act failed Lok Sabha test, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has strongly criticised the government over the proposed changes. Yadav said the bill, instead of being a fully prepared step toward women’s empowerment, appeared to have been introduced in haste. He alleged that the legislative process did not sufficiently incorporate updated demographic data or detailed consultation on its structural impact.
A key point raised by Yadav was the absence of a recent census and the reliance on outdated population data, such as the 2011 census. He argued that using old figures could undermine the very basis of representation and lead to imbalances in how reservation benefits are distributed. He also called for the implementation of a fresh census before moving forward with any large-scale reservation policy.
The SP leader further raised concerns over the linkage between women’s reservation and delimitation exercises. He claimed that the government’s approach could delay or sideline the demand for a comprehensive caste-based census, which he described as essential for understanding India’s current social composition.
Yadav also alleged that the structure of the proposed framework could inadvertently create divisions among women by not adequately addressing representation for marginalised groups such as Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes and minority communities.
Bill introduced to divert attention from real issues
In his remarks, Yadav described the bill as politically motivated, suggesting that it was being used to shift attention away from pressing issues such as unemployment, inflation, and rising concerns about women’s safety. He said that while the intention of women’s empowerment is important, it must be backed by concrete policy measures in education, healthcare, security, and economic opportunity rather than symbolic legislative announcements.
"To divert attention from people's rising opposition and anger, they had brought a so-called Women's Reservation Bill. The defeat of this Bill is the defeat of BJP. This is also the defeat of BJP's ill intent. BJP's all attempts and Bill are either about benefiting just a few or about dividing society. Through this Bill, this time, the BJP wanted to fracture women's unity and deceive them. But opposition unity foiled the BJP's plan. This is the victory of active public awareness, led by the Opposition, against the BJP. Through the so-called Women's Reservation Bill, BJP was trying to turn 'nari' (women) into 'nara' (slogan)," Akhilesh said.
Constitution amendment bills falters
The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, was not approved in the Lok Sabha on Friday as it could not secure the mandatory two-thirds majority. Despite receiving support from 298 members, 230 MPs voted against it, leading to the bill’s failure to progress further.
Several Opposition parties, including the Congress, SP, TMC, DMK, voted against the Bill.
Following this, the government withdrew two other proposed measures — the Delimitation Bill, 2026, and the Union Territories Law (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
After the setback, members of the NDA held demonstrations within the Parliament complex, voicing their disappointment over the bill’s rejection.
