Parliament LIVE | No two-thirds majority: Women's Quota Amendment Bill fails in LS

Kanimozhi calls women’s quota Bills ‘politically timed’, slams Centre over delimitation plan

Kanimozhi criticised the Centre’s timing of the women’s reservation-related Bills, alleging that the government is pushing them through in the middle of elections for political gain.

She said, “The timing of the government is breathtakingly political, the Bills are being pushed through in the middle of elections.”

Kanimozhi further alleged that there had been no urgency for over a decade in implementing women’s reservation, but now the government “cannot even wait for a few days” to move ahead with it.

She argued that the Bills were not aimed at implementing women’s reservation but were an “electoral rescue strategy through Hindi states,” adding that the government was doing so because it expects poor performance in several states.

Questioning the structure of the proposal, she asked why women cannot be given 33 per cent reservation within existing constituencies if the intent is genuine.

Referring to Article 368, she noted that constitutional amendments require a two-thirds majority and warned about the implications of delimitation. She said that, based on the Home Minister’s assurance of a uniform 50 per cent increase in seats, the outcome would reduce the collective bargaining power of southern states and make constitutional changes easier due to numerical advantages in Hindi-speaking states and regions governed by allies.

Kanimozhi calls delimitation Bills assault on federal structure

DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi on Friday launched a sharp attack on the Centre’s three Bills related to delimitation and women’s reservation, calling them “the single greatest assault on the federal structure” and alleging that they target states that have strong development models or have resisted the BJP politically. 

Speaking on the issue, she said the 1976 freeze on delimitation under the Indira Gandhi government was not merely a technical decision but a commitment to protect the representation of southern states, including Tamil Nadu. She added that the Vajpayee government later extended the freeze to 2026 after recognising concerns raised by southern states. 

Questioning the Centre’s proposal to expand Lok Sabha seats to 850, Kanimozhi asked on what basis such a move was being justified when the delimitation exercise would rely on the 2011 Census, which she described as outdated. 

She also objected to provisions in the Constitution Amendment Bill, arguing that it allows the Centre to determine the Census on which delimitation will be based, which she claimed effectively gives the Union government discretion over the process.

Kanimozhi further raised concerns over the proposed Delimitation Commission, noting that while it would be headed by a retired Supreme Court judge, the appointment would still be made by the government. She also criticised the provision that bars judicial review of the Commission’s final order, asking where states would seek justice in case of perceived injustice. 

“If the government truly believed in cooperative federalism, why are state legislatures and chief ministers not being consulted?” she asked, alleging a lack of federal consultation in the process.

Venugopal questions late notification of Women’s Reservation Act; Oppn protests in LS

Congress MP KC Venugopal raised concerns over the Centre notifying the 2023 Naari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam late last night while amendments to the Act are under consideration in the House. He asked the Law Minister to clarify the government’s intention behind the notification.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla asked Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal if he would like to respond. However, Meghwal remained silent.

Opposition MPs protested, with DMK MP Kanimozhi, NCP-SP MP Supriya Sule and others questioning the logic behind the notification. Birla said he would give his ruling on the matter later.

Women Reservation Act 2023 comes into force ahead of voting to its amendment in LS

The Women Reservation Act 2023, which gives 33 per cent quota to women in legislatures, came into force on Thursday (April 16) to operationalise the proposed amendment being discussed in Parliament.

An official explained that bringing the law into force was essential as its proposed amendment will not have come into effect without that.

The constitution amendment Bill became a law but did not become part of the Constitution as the government did not bring it into force.

If a law does not come into force, how can its proposed amendment be implemented. Hence it was brought into force with effect from April 16, the official explained.

The 2023 act was notified with effect from April 16 in the midst of the debate in Parliament to amend the same law for its implementation in 2029.

Another official had Thursday night cited "technicalities" for bringing the law into force without elaborating. Though the act has come into force, the reservation cannot be implemented in the current House, the official said.

Reservation for women can be implemented after carrying out a delimitation exercise on the basis of the next Census, the official said.

The notification read: "In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of section 1 of the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023, the Central Government hereby appoints the 16th day of April, 2026 as the date on which the provisions of the said Act shall come into force." In September 2023, Parliament passed the 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam', commonly known as the Women's Reservation Act, in a significant step towards enhancing women's representation in legislative bodies.

The act provided for the reservation of one-third of seats for women in Lok Sabha and state legislative Assemblies.

Under the 2023 law, the reservation would not become enforceable before 2034, as it was tied to the completion of the delimitation exercise post 2027 Census.

The three bills -- 'The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026', 'The Delimitation Bill, 2026' and 'The Union Territories Laws (Amendment Bill), 2026' --currently being debated in Lok Sabha were brought in by the government so that the women quota could be implemented in 2029. PTI

Hibi Eden accuses Modi govt of politicising women’s quota

Congress leader Hibi Eden accused PM Modi of politicising the Women’s Reservation Bill, questioning the urgency of pushing it during ongoing state election campaigns despite it being passed in 2023.

Venugopal accuses Centre of delaying women’s quota, says Shah misled House

KC Venugopal accused the government of delaying women’s reservation despite passing the 2023 law, urged implementation with existing seats, and alleged Amit Shah misled Parliament.

Stock markets trade higher in early trade

Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty were trading in positive territory in early trade on Friday, supported by optimism around easing geopolitical tensions and fresh foreign fund inflows.

A temporary ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon has added to markets' optimism, with expectations that this could pave the way for renewed US-Iran negotiations, an expert said.

The 30-share BSE Sensex climbed 177.52 points to 78,166.20 in early trade. The 50-share NSE Nifty advanced 37.4 points to 24,234.15.

From the 30-Sensex firms, ITC, Adani Ports, Maruti, Trent, Power Grid and Hindustan Unilever were among the major winners. HCL Tech, Tata Steel, Bajaj Finance and ICICI Bank were among the laggards.

Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, traded 1.23 per cent lower at USD 98.17 per barrel.

In Asian markets, South Korea's benchmark Kospi, Japan's Nikkei 225 index, Shanghai's SSE Composite index and Hong Kong's Hang Seng index were trading lower.

ED raids against Punjab industries minister Sanjeev Arora

The Enforcement Directorate on Friday conducted searches at premises linked to Punjab industries minister Sanjeev Arora and some others as part of an investigation, officials said.

Locations in Ludhiana and some others places are being covered by the agency officials, they said.

Arora, an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, was raided by the ED in 2024 too.

It has then said in a statement that companies linked to Arora and some other entities caused "loss" to the state government and generated "huge" proceeds of crime by alleged misuse of industrial land for residential projects.

A few days back, the federal probe agency conducted FEMA searches at the premises of AAP Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Kumar Mittal and his educational institutions in Punjab and Haryana. 

ICE acting director Todd Lyons will resign at end of May, DHS says

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement acting director Todd Lyons, a key executor of President Donald Trump's mass deportations agenda, will resign at the end of May, federal officials announced Thursday.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin described Lyons as a great leader of ICE who helped to make American communities safer.

"We wish him luck on his next opportunity in the private sector," Mullin said in a statement. Lyons' last day will be May 31, according to Mullin.

White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson described Lyons in a post on X as "an American patriot who made our country safer." It was not immediately clear why Lyons was resigning, nor who would be replacing him.

Lyons, who joined ICE in 2007 as an immigration enforcement agent in Texas, led the agency at the centre of Trump's plans to reshape immigration to the US.

Under his leadership, the agency was granted a massive infusion of cash through Congress, which it used to expand hiring and detention capabilities. ICE under Lyons also ramped up arrests to meet demand from the administration. Lyons signed off on a memo that granted federal immigration officers sweeping powers to forcibly enter homes and make arrests without a judge's warrant.

Iran's parliamentary speaker says Lebanon integral part of regional ceasefire

Iran's parliamentary speaker on Thursday said Lebanon is an integral part of regional ceasefire. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf made these remarks on Iranian state television after meeting Pakistan's army chief Gen Asim Munir in Tehran.

US President Donald Trump announced a 10-day truce between Lebanon and Israel in a bid to end the war between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group. Iran, Hezbollah's key patron and ally, has included ending the war in Lebanon as one of its conditions in its talks with Washington, mediated by Pakistan.

There was no mention about resuming in-person talks with Washington, as both sides gear up for a second round of talks.