No Reservation To Muslims; Quota On Basis Of Religion Unconstitutional: Shah
The home minister said the Samajwadi Party members were saying that they would place the demand for a caste census but he would like to inform them that the government had already taken a decision to carry out the caste census and it would be carried out along with the population enumeration
NEW DELHI: Union home minister Amit Shah said on Thursday that Muslims would not be given reservation as any quota on the basis of religion will be unconstitutional. During a fiery 40-minute debate, following which three Bills were introduced in the Lok Sabha for amendment of the women's quota law and to set up a delimitation commission, Shah said that a caste census will be carried out along with population enumeration during the ongoing census exercise.
Initiating the discussion on the three bills, Congress deputy leader Gaurav Gogoi said that the bills are "anti-women, anti-caste census, anti-Constitution and anti-federal structure of the country. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav accused the ruling BJP of turning "nari" (women) into a "nara" (slogan) and said that the Centre is using the proposed amendments to the women's quota law to delay the census.
Reacting after Akhilesh Yadav and Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav spoke in favour of giving a quota to Muslims, Shah said, "The question of providing reservation to Muslim women on the basis of religion does not even arise. Our Constitution does not allow reservation on the basis of religion. I want to make it clear our government's resolve that Muslims will not be given reservations on the basis of religion. Such reservation is unconstitutional."
Referring to the Samajwadi Party members' demand for a caste census, Shah said that the government had taken a decision to carry out the caste census and asserted that it will be carried out along with the population enumeration. "Right now, the counting of households is underway. The households do not have any caste. If the Samajwadi Party had its way, they would determine the caste of households as well," he said.
"If the Samajwadi Party gives all its tickets to Muslim women, where do we have any objection? We have no objections at all," Shah said, adding, "I want to make it clear that this census will be conducted along with caste enumeration."
The three bills were introduced after a fiery 40-minute debate, following which the Opposition pressed for the division of votes to introduce the Constitutional (131st Amendment) Bill. The bill was later introduced with 251 members supporting it and 185 members voting against the introduction.
Gogoi accused the government of attempting to take political advantage through delimitation and gerrymandering. "What they did through delimitation in Jammu and Kashmir and in Assam, they want to do in the whole country in the name of women's reservation," he said, adding the government's actions were shameful.
The Congress' deputy leader in the House pointed out that the bill stated that amendments were needed as delimitation would take time. "What that means is that you are not in favour of women's reservation in reality and are creating obstacles repeatedly," he said.
Gogoi accused the BJP of indulging in "politics of symbolism" and said that three Bills show that they are not aimed at women's reservation but to get delimitation done through the "backdoor". He alleged that the government is bulldozing delimitation in the name of women's reservation, and the BJP in the past had used delimitation as a weapon to further its political ambitions.
"Our party is in favour of women's reservation, but you must make it simple. It should be implemented on the current strength of the House -- 543 -- and must not be linked to delimitation," Gogoi said, adding that his party has no objection to the government wanting to implement the women's reservation for the 2029 polls, but it should not be linked to delimitation.
Participating in a debate on three bills, the Samajwadi Party president said that his party has always supported reservation for women and furthered the cause of women-led development. “All socialist leaders have believed in gender and social justice,” Mr Yadav said.
The SP president asked how many of the 21 states and Union territories ruled by the BJP and its allies had women chief ministers. “The Delhi chief minister is a "half chief minister" as governments in Union territories have limited power,” he said.
The TMC questioned the Modi government's hurriedness on the women's quota, saying it is nothing but a disguise to alter the electoral process and harm democracy. TMC MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar also expressed apprehensions that the proposed delimitation commission will be authoritarian just like the Election Commission.
Speaking on the bills, Dastidar said that the Modi government has brought these bills amid ongoing Assembly elections for political benefits.
"Why did the government not bring these bills earlier? Why is there a hurry now when the Assembly elections are taking place? Women's reservation is a disguise to alter the election process and harm democracy," she said.
The TMC MP emphasised her party is not against the quota and, in fact, wants the limit extended to 50 per cent. Accusing the Election Commission of not giving due honour to TMC MPs, Dastidar said that the proposed delimitation commission too would be an "authoritarian commission".
