Special Parliament session Highlights: ‘…lambe samay tak keemat chukani padegi' - Modi says for those who oppose Bill

Special Parliament session: The updates to this blog have now been closed

Special Parliament session LIVE: PM Modi said the three bills, introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, and the women's quota law, will not discriminate or do any kind of injustice. He assured that the bills won't benefit any one political party. Read here

PM Modi said that he does not want credit for women's reservation bill. “If you are saying that the women's reservation bill might give me political leverage, you are right, but if you want credit for it, I am ready to give a blank cheque to you for taking credit,” said PM Modi

After his speech was interrupted by TMC leader Kalyan Banerjee, PM Modi took a swipe at him, saying, ‘let him speak, nobody lets him talk there’

Special Parliament session LIVE: PM Modi said that even though he comes from the OBC community, his “responsibility is to take everyone forward together”.

“That is what the constitution has taught me,” he added further.

Special Parliament session LIVE: PM Modi in his speech, urged all MPs to support the women quota bil. “Let us all MPs not miss this important opportunity to give reservation to women: PM Modi in Lok Sabha,” he said

During his speech in Lok Sabha, PM Modi said that “whoever opposes the Bill now, would pay the price for a long time.”
“Whoever opposes now, usko lambe samay tak keemat chukani padegi,” said PM Modi

Special Parliament session LIVE: “I consider this bill to be one of the most important moment in parliament's history,” said PM Modi

Special Parliament session LIVE: Chants of ‘Bharat Mata ki jai’ fillled the Lok Sabha as PM Modi arrived in the Lower House of the Parliament

Special Parliament session LIVE: PM Modi has arrived in the Lok Sabha, and has begun his speech

Special Parliament session LIVE: PM Modi to speak in Lok Sabha around 3 pm on women's reservation bill, delimitation

In the Lok Sabha on Thursday, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav says in favour of women's reservation but against NDA's ‘chaalbazi’ (trickery)

On the proposed Delimitation Bill and Women's Reservation Bill, BJP leader K Annamalai says, "Tamil Nadu stands to benefit from women’s reservation and constituency delimitation. However, MK Stalin is said to be promoting a misleading narrative by taking a rigid stance that reservations should not be provided to women. The people of Tamil Nadu do not seem to trust this position. As evidence of this, it is claimed that no households have hoisted black flags in protest... It is difficult to understand why the DMK opposes women’s reservation. In general, political parties do not provide sufficient opportunities for women. Therefore, opposing women’s reservation is a misguided stance."

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says, "The issue is very simple. The govt has a plan to re-delimit the constituencies to increase the number of seats in the areas where the ruling party is strong. They are using women's reservation to bring about that change. This is political demonetisation."

Right now, Akhilesh Yadav is speaking in the Lok Sabha.

According to the Constitution (131st 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.

BJP leader Tejasvi Surya said that parties currently in the opposition delayed and disrupted the process, ensuring the bill did not see the light of day. He added that the bill had been stalled for 30 years.
He added, "30 saal ke liye atke rha tha (the bill had been stalled for 30 years.)

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

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

On the Women's Reservation Act, BJP MP Shashank Mani Tripathi told ANI, "This is a very important bill. We should not delay it. If we want it to be based solely on the 2026 census, then this women's act will be postponed for another five years, which is a danger for women, for the country, and for the world... I am fully confident that everyone will pass it unanimously."