Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday delivered a sharp jibe at Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav during a heated Lok Sabha debate, saying the SP was free to give all its tickets to Muslim women if it wished. “SP can give all its tickets to Muslim women; we have no objection,” Shah remarked, drawing reactions across the House.
The exchange came during deliberations on three key Bills linked to women’s reservation and delimitation, which have triggered intense political contestation in the ongoing special session of Parliament.
Shah vs Akhilesh: Clash over Muslim quota and census
The sharp face-off unfolded after Akhilesh Yadav raised the demand for a separate quota for Muslim women under the proposed reservation framework. He also questioned the timing of the legislation, asking why the government was not waiting for the census and reiterating his party’s demand for a caste census.
Responding, Amit Shah clarified that the census process has already been initiated, with house listing work currently underway. He confirmed that the upcoming census will include a caste column, indicating that caste data will form part of the exercise. However, Shah firmly rejected the demand for religion-based reservations, stating that such provisions would be unconstitutional and inconsistent with the Constitution’s framework.
Samajwadi Chief #AkhileshYadav was trying to sound cool but got instant belt-treatment from HM Shah.
— Amitabh Chaudhary (@MithilaWaaala) April 16, 2026
“Samajwadi Party saari tickets Muslim mahilaon ko de de, humein kya aapatti hai?” 😂#Loksabha #LoksabhaSession pic.twitter.com/91qwFdABLZ
Opposition raises sub-quota concerns
Earlier in the debate, Samajwadi Party MP Dharmendra Yadav argued that the Bill diluted the “basic spirit” of the Constitution. He asserted that the party would not support the legislation unless it included provisions for OBC and Muslim women.
The debate quickly escalated into a broader ideological clash over the scope of affirmative action, with the ruling side maintaining that religion-based quotas have no constitutional backing.
Voting schedule and key interventions
Amid the charged exchanges, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announced that voting on the three Bills, aimed at amending the women’s quota law and setting up a delimitation commission, will take place at 4 pm on Friday, after an extensive debate expected to run for 15 to 18 hours.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju proposed a 12-hour discussion window, with the possibility of an extension left to the Speaker.
PM Modi is also scheduled to address the Lok Sabha at 3 pm, in what is expected to be a key moment in the government’s push for the Bills.
Several MPs, including Bansuri Swaraj, Raksha Khadse, Aparajita Sarangi, Kangana Ranaut, and Dharmshila Gupta, are expected to participate in what has become one of the most politically charged debates of the session.
