Parliament Special Session LIVE: Rahul Gandhi's 'Magician' Remarks On PM Spark Uproar; Voting Likely After Amit Shah's Reply

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will respond to the debate on the Women's Reservation Bill and the Delimitation Bill in the Lok Sabha around 6 pm today.

LoP, Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi refers to the PM as a "magician". "The magician of Balakot, demonetization, Sindoor has been suddenly caught. Everybody knows there is a partnership between the magician and the businessman," Rahul Gandhi said, prompting fierce opposition from the ruling MPs. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has demanded apology from Rahul Gandhi.,

#WATCH | LoP, Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi refers to the PM as a "magician". Everybody knows there is a partnership between the magician and the businessman," he says Rahul Gandhi. pic.twitter.com/B7pYr6CJjB, — ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2026

"You are telling the south Indian, the north-eastern states and small states in India that for the BJP to remain in power, we are going to take away representation from you. This is nothing short of an anti-national act. And we are not going to allow you to do this," Rahul Gandhi on Delimitation.,

#WATCH | LoP, Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi says, "You are telling the south Indian, the north-eastern states and small states in India that for the BJP to remain in power, we are going to take away representation from you. This is nothing short of an anti-national act. And we are not… https://t.co/uHxoPUlg4u pic.twitter.com/XEh4zSLwJS, — ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2026

"What you (BJP) are doing, because you are scared of what is happening in the politics of the country, you are scared of the erosion of your strength, and you are trying to rejig the Indian political map. You did it in Assam, J&K, and now imagining you can do it in India. You need a constitutional amendment to do that," said Rahul Gandhi.

Speaking in Parliament, LoP, Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi says, "Manuvad over Samvidhaan...Amit Shah ji says that the caste census has begun. He repeated twice, trying to be clever, saying that houses don't have caste. The point is whether or not the caste census is going to be used in representation in Parliament & State Assemblies. And now, what you are trying to do is that caste census has nothing to do with representation for the next 15 years..."

Speaking in Parliament, LoP, Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi says, "It is a historical fact that how Indian society treated Dalits and OBCs and their women...What is being attempted here is a bypass of the caste census. Here, the yare trying to avoid giving power and representation to my OBC brothers and sisters and taking power from them."

"The first truth is that this is not a women's bill. This has nothing to do with the empowerment of women. This is an attempt to change the electoral map of India, says LoP, Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, during a special session of Parliament on the women's reservation bill and delimitation.,

#WATCH | "The first truth is that this is not a women's bill. This has nothing to do with the empowerment of women. This is an attempt to change the electoral map of India. Actually, it is a shameful act," says LoP, Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, during special session of Parliament on… https://t.co/Eof09Sv0wq pic.twitter.com/0TnpXktC1e, — ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2026

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweets, "I would like to appeal to all Members of Parliament… Please reflect upon your conscience, remembering the women in your own families. The legislation to ensure women’s reservation in legislative bodies is a significant opportunity to do justice to women of our nation. Please do not deprive our Nari Shakti of new opportunities. If this amendment is passed unanimously, it will further empower the women of our country and strengthen our democracy. Let us come together today to create history. Let us ensure that the women of India, who are half of the nation’s population, receive their rightful due."

LoP, Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi speaks during the special session of Parliament on women's reservation and delimitation. "Women are a driving force in our national imagination. All of us have been influenced, taught, learnt a lot from women in their lives," said Rahul Gandhi

On women's reservation and delimitation, Congress MP Kumari Selja says, "Everyone has made their stance clear. Every party has explained how we are opposing it and why we are doing so. The BJP's position is not at all clear. You haven't even started the process to implement reservations for the previous law until now. You didn't even notify the previous law that was enacted. Now they stand exposed."

Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says, "Linking women's reservation to delimitation effectively holds the aspirations of Indian women hostage to one of the most contentious political exercises in our history... In future delimitations, states that have failed to curb population growth would be rewarded with greater political weight. We must ask if this is the message we wish to send, that governance excellence leads to political irrelevance... You have proposed delimitation with such haste, the same haste that you showed on demonetisation. Unfortunately, we all know what damage that did to the country. Delimitation, sir, will turn out to be political demonetisation. Don't do it...",

#WATCH | Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says, "... Linking women's reservation to delimitation effectively holds the aspirations of Indian women hostage to one of the most contentious political exercises in our history... In future delimitations, states… pic.twitter.com/O3y3jfoCSy, — ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2026

Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says, "The Prime Minister says the Government has bought Nari Shakti a gift of justice. But he has wrapped it in barbed wire, tethering the implementation of women's reservation to the expansion of Parliament, to numbers from the 2011 Census and an exercise of delimitation. Why must we entangle a moral imperative with a demographic minefield? Women's reservation is ready for harvest... To link it to delimitation is to hold the aspirations of Indian women hostage to one of the most contentious and complex administrative exercises in our nation's history.",

#WATCH | Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor says, "... The Prime Minister says the Government has bought Nari Shakti a gift of justice. But he has wrapped it in barbed wire, tethering the implementation of women's reservation to the expansion of Parliament, to… pic.twitter.com/aeTlA1EU8T, — ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2026

Opposition members in the Lok Sabha on Friday questioned the government's move to move a bill to amend the 2023 women quota law before bringing the principal Act into force.

Soon after laying of parliamentary papers, K C Venugopal rose to point out a law ministry notification issued last night around 10 pm to bring into force the 2023 women's reservation law with effect from April 16, much after a bill to amend the Act was introduced and discussed in the House.

DMK's Kanimozhi also flagged the issue, wondering the logic in discussing an amendment after notifying the principal Act. Opposition members sought a clarification from law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal who was present in the Lok Sabha.

Opposition MPs from Telangana protested against BJP MP Tejasvi Surya outside Parliament on Friday, for comparing the formation of the state to the partition of India and accusing Congress of dividing Andhra Pradesh. The Opposition MPs demanded that Tejasvi Surya apologise for his remarks in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

Addressing the Lower House of Parliament, Surya had said, "Why are Opposition parties and some regional parties of the South, led by the DMK, making so much noise? The tears they are shedding are crocodile tears. I thank heaven that in 2026, when the country undertakes delimitation, the BJP-led Centre will carry it out. The Congress government divided Andhra Pradesh into two parts, and they did worse than the British in partitioning the country.",

#WATCH | Delhi: Congress MP Vamsi Krishna Gaddam says, "This is a repeated habit of the BJP high command... They are using Tejasvi Surya to throw fire at Telangana... They are giving unnecessary, unparliamentary and undemocratic comments... It looks like Tejasvi Surya does not… pic.twitter.com/6o5wmQv4j1, — ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2026

Congress leaders on Thursday staged a protest near the Bharatiya Janata Party office in Hyderabad. Enraged by the remarks, Congress leaders burned an effigy of Surya. BRS Working President KT Rama Rao strongly criticised BJP leaders, alleging that they once again displayed their "hatred" towards the formation of Telangana on the floor of Parliament.

"It is difficult to understand the BJP. When people were told that there would be an SIR, they were doing NRC. Now, under the pretext of women's reservation, they want to create a Lok Sabha of their choice by doing delimitation so that they don't lose. We are in favour of women's reservation. Why do they want to create a constituency of their choice? Noida has the lowest minimum wages in the country, what are you doing for that? You are helping some people so that they can earn more profit," Akhilesh Yadav said.,

#WATCH | Delhi: On Women's Reservation Bill, SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav says, "It is difficult to understand the BJP... When people were told that there would be an SIR, they were doing NRC… Now, under the pretext of women's reservation, they want to create a Lok Sabha of their… pic.twitter.com/cRijisQuWm, — ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2026

On the Women's Reservation Bill, Congress MP Ujjwal Raman Singh says, "The government doesn't want to pass the bill. If it wanted to pass the bill, it would have called an all-party meeting. It would have talked to the opposition parties, sought the Congress party's opinion, and then passed the bill. Yesterday, Priyanka Gandhi said If you want, you can take all the credit, but what's the problem in providing 33% reservation out of 543?...",

#WATCH Delhi: On the Women's Reservation Bill, Congress MP Ujjwal Raman Singh says, "The government doesn't want to pass the bill. If it wanted to pass the bill, it would have called an all-party meeting. It would have talked to the opposition parties, sought the Congress party's… pic.twitter.com/h8fSQqzzmF, — ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2026

The Women Reservation Act 2023, which gives 33 per cent quota to women in legislatures, came into force on Thursday 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.

Nominated member Harivansh was elected Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha unopposed on Friday. It is the third term as Deputy Chairman for the journalist-turned-politician. The Office of the Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha, fell vacant after the term of Harivansh ended on April 9.

Union minister and Leader of the House J P Nadda moved the first motion for electing Harivansh as the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge congratulated Harivansh on his election. It is for the first time that a nominated member has been elected as Deputy Chairman,

#WATCH | Speaking in the Rajya Sabha on Harivansh Narayan Singh elected unopposed as the Dy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, PM Narendra Modi says, "Being elected as Deputy Chairman for the third consecutive term is a testament to the deep trust this House has in you, the benefits… pic.twitter.com/GjLNAabwHS, — ANI (@ANI) April 17, 2026

The proceedings for day 2 of the special session began on Friday with an uproar by opposition MPs. Debate on the three bills introduced yesterday to amend the women's quota law will continue today.