Indira Gandhi banned delimitation in 1976, Cong still has same mindset: Amit Shah

Just hours before Lok Sabha votes for or against the women's reservation and delimitation bills in Lok Sabha, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said, opposition is opposing women's reservation and not the implementation of the measure. "In 1972, the then PM Indira Gandhi's government brought the Delimitation Bill and increased the number of seats from 525 to 545, and then froze it at this. In 1976, to save power during the Emergency period, the 42nd Amendment imposed a ban on delimitation. Even at that time, it was the Congress party that deprived the country's people of delimitation, and today too, it is the Congress party that is depriving them of delimitation."

#WATCH | Union Home Minister Amit Shah says, "In 1972, the then PM Indira Gandhi's government brought the Delimitation Bill and increased the number of seats from 525 to 545, and then froze it at this. In 1976, to save power during the Emergency period, the 42nd Amendment imposed… pic.twitter.com/kEgcNmWS8M

— ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2026

"We could not conduct a census in 2021, when it was actually due, as the country was facing the Covid-19 pandemic. When we wanted to do it in 2024, many sought a caste-based census. In 2025, we finally decided on a caste census," said Union Minister Amit Shah on the delay in conducting the census.