Akhilesh Yadav questions timing of women’s quota bill, accuses Centre of dodging cast
Akhilesh Yadav questions timing of women’s quota bill, accuses Centre of dodging caste census
M.U.H
16/04/202615
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday mounted a strong critique of the Centre in the Lok Sabha over the proposed Women’s Reservation Bill, alleging that the BJP-led government was fast-tracking the legislation with “ulterior motives” while deliberately postponing a caste-based census to avoid expanding reservations for backward communities.
Taking part in the debate, Yadav charged that the government was seeking to “turn women into slogans” instead of ensuring meaningful empowerment. “This haste in the name of women’s reservation shows that the BJP is on its way out,” he said, describing the move as political “appeasement” aimed at electoral gains.
Raising concerns over the structure of the Bill, he argued that it does not sufficiently account for representation of women from marginalised backgrounds, reiterating the demand for a “quota within the quota” for OBC, Dalit, and minority women. Without such safeguards, he said, the legislation would fall short of delivering real social justice.
Yadav also tied the timing of the Bill to what he described as the Centre’s reluctance to conduct a caste census, asserting that such an exercise would force the release of caste data and trigger demands for broader reservation policies. “The truth is that the BJP wants to delay the census because once it is conducted, the demand for a caste census will also arise, followed by calls for reservation—something the BJP and its allies have never wanted to provide,” he said.
Referring to the Samajwadi Party’s ‘PDA’ (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) framework, Yadav stressed that women—“Aadhi Aabadi,” or half the population—are central to this coalition, and alleged that the Bill was part of a “larger conspiracy” to undermine the rights of these groups.
He further intensified his attack by claiming that the BJP’s electoral practices had been exposed and that increased vigilance by opposition parties and citizens would ensure that “genuine votes” determine outcomes going forward. According to him, the ruling party was facing a “shortage of supporters and voters” and had brought the Bill to offset political challenges.
During his speech, Yadav also took sharp jibes at the government, calling the BJP a “dry-cleaning shop for the corrupt” and making a “half Chief Minister” remark about the Delhi leadership, sparking protests from treasury benches. His comments led to a heated exchange with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who countered that the Samajwadi Party was free to field Muslim women candidates if it chose to do so.
Extending his criticism beyond the legislative debate, Yadav accused the government of failing women on economic and social fronts, pointing to rising inflation and increasing LPG cylinder prices that, he said, have “emptied kitchens” across households. He also alleged that government policies were weakening public education, making it harder for women to educate their children.
“The pain of women is evident in the tears of the families of shopkeepers in Meerut and in the choked voices of workers and domestic helpers in Noida,” he said, adding that if the Bill were genuinely intended to benefit women, it should be announced “among working and homemaker women” rather than imposed as a top-down measure.
Yadav’s remarks come amid a sharpening political battle ahead of upcoming state elections and the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, with opposition parties increasingly pushing for a caste census and greater representation for backward communities. The Women’s Reservation Bill has become a key point of contention, with the government projecting it as a landmark reform for gender equality, while the opposition continues to question its timing, structure, and underlying intent.
