Amit Shah, Arjun Meghwal move to introduce bills in LS to tweak women's quota law, set up delimitation panel

New Delhi: Union ministers Arjun Ram Meghwal and Amit Shah on Thursday moved to introduce three bills in the Lok Sabha to amend the women's quota law and set up a delimitation commission amid protests by the opposition, which termed the proposed legislations anti-constitutional.

Congress' K C Venugopal questioned why proposed changes in the women's quota law were not incorporated when it was earlier passed by Parliament.

"Bills to tweak the women's quota law and set up a delimitation panel are anti-constitutional," he said.

Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav questioned the rush to introduce the bills.

"We are in favour... but why do you not want a Census to be done?" he asked.

Union Minister Home Minister Amit Shah hit back, saying the Census 2027 is on and the Centre has also decided to go for caste enumeration, but reservation based on religion is "unconstitutional".

According to the draft Constitution amendment bill, Lok Sabha seats will be increased to a maximum of 850 from the current 543 to "operationalise" the women's reservation law before the 2029 parliamentary polls, following a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census.

Seats will also be increased in state and Union territory assemblies to accommodate 33 per cent reservation for women.

The seats reserved for women in the Lok Sabha and legislative assemblies "shall be allotted by rotation to different constituencies in a state or Union territory", the draft bill circulated among Lok Sabha members said.

Several opposition parties on Wednesday decided to unitedly vote against the delimitation provisions in the Constitution amendment bill in Parliament, while asserting that they are not against reservation for women in legislative bodies.