If there are shortcomings, they can be set right at a later date: Amit Shah

The Lok Sabha passed the women's reservation bill on Wednesday, with 454 MPs supporting it and two opposing it. The Lower House's total strength is 543.

Intervening during the debate, Union home minister Amit Shah appealed to MPs: "Let us at least do Shree Ganesh. Let us rise above party politics to give women the honour they deserve."

Recalling that the bill had been "turned down four times by this House", he said "if there are any shortcomings, they can be set right at a later date".


Responding to the Opposition's demand for OBC sub-quota, Shah said at present there are three categories of seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies - SC, ST and General - and this bill gives 33% vertical reservation in all three categories.

On why the bill will not be enforced before 2026, Shah said the next government will conduct census and delimitation exercises immediately after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. "This will set in motion the process to make reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies a reality," he said.

"If we (government) make reservations and in the process Wayanad and Hyderabad get reserved, then you will say that we have done it to serve a political purpose," Shah said.

He said the Delimitation Commission, which carries out the exercise, is chaired by a retired judge of the Supreme Court, with a representative of the poll panel and representations from political parties.

"So, if we have to reserve one-third of the seats, that will be decided by this commission. It is good that a quasi-judicial body does it through open hearings and transparency," he said.

Rebutting Rahul Gandhi's charge that government was ignoring OBCs, Shah said: "Parties singing songs of OBC empowerment never made an OBC prime minister. But BJP did."

On Gandhi's jibe that the Centre has only three OBC secretaries, Shah said the "nation is governed by the Cabinet, and there are 29 OBC ministers in the Union Cabinet and BJP has 85 MPs from the OBC category. Similarly, the party has 365 OBC MLAs, which is 27% of its total strength of 1,358".

Women's security, respect and equal participation have been the life force of the Modi government, he said, adding that it is not a political issue for BJP and Modi.

The Constitution amendment bill, which provides for 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday by Union law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal.