Amit Shah defends bill in Lok Sabha, says opposition protests target women’s reservation
April 17, 2026: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday defended the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha, highlighting what he described as record participation during the debate. He noted that 123 members spoke on the bill, including 63 women, calling it an unprecedented level of engagement in parliamentary discussions.
Shah also took aim at opposition parties, alleging that their protests were effectively directed against women’s reservation rather than procedural concerns. “This protest is not happening in a conventional manner, but it is a protest against women’s reservation,” he said, suggesting that resistance from parties like the Congress was politically motivated.
Outlining the government’s objectives, Shah said the priority was to implement the constitutional amendment in a time-bound manner so that women’s reservation could be in place by the 2029 general elections. He added that the reform also aims to uphold the democratic principle of equal representation—“one person, one vote, one value”—a core idea established by India’s Constituent Assembly.