Summary of this article
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Thursday that Muslims will not be given reservation on the basis of religion as such a quota would be unconstitutional.
Shah said a caste census will be carried out along with population enumeration during the ongoing census exercise.
The government had already taken a decision to carry out the caste census and it would be carried out along with the population enumeration.
The Lok Sabha on Thursday took up the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, and the Delimitation Bill, 2026, for debate and passage.
In a high-stakes, 40-minute showdown in the Lok Sabha this Thursday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah drew a firm line on the constitutional boundaries of India’s reservation policy. Addressing a fiery house, Shah categorically stated that the government would not provide quotas to Muslims based on religion, labelling such a move as fundamentally unconstitutional. This wasn't just a policy statement; it was a sharp rebuttal to Samajwadi Party leaders Akhilesh Yadav and Dharmendra Yadav, who had passionately argued for a specific community quota within the nation's legislative framework.
The debate served as the dramatic backdrop for the introduction of three landmark bills—including the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026—that are set to fundamentally reshape the Indian political landscape. Under the new proposals, the Lok Sabha’s strength will swell to 815 seats, with a historic 272 of those seats—exactly 33 percent—reserved for women. It’s a move that aims to change the face of Indian governance, even as the details of how to get there spark intense partisan friction.
Beyond the row over reservations, Shah delivered a significant update on the long-debated issue of a caste census. He informed the House that the government has already resolved to include caste enumeration in the current census exercise, which began its house-listing phase on April 1. This decision reverses a decades-old policy of excluding caste data from census operations since Independence—a move Shah noted he "personally" supports to ensure a clearer picture of the nation's social fabric.
True to his combative style, the Home Minister didn't miss a chance to spar with the opposition over the mechanics of the count. Responding to the Samajwadi Party’s demands, he pointed out that the current stage involves households, which don't carry a caste identity. In a final, witty jab, Shah remarked that while the government opposes religion-based quotas, it has no interest in micromanaging political strategy: "If the Samajwadi Party gives all its tickets to Muslim women, we have no objections at all".
