New Delhi, 16 April 

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.

During a fiery 40-minute debate, following which three bills were introduced in the Lok Sabha for amendment of the women's quota law and to set up a delimitation commission, Shah said a caste census will be carried out along with population enumeration during the ongoing census exercise.

"The question of providing reservation to Muslim women on the basis of religion does not even arise. Our Constitution does not allow at all to give reservation on the basis of religion. I want to make it clear our government's resolve that Muslims will not be given reservation on the basis of religion. Such reservation is unconstitutional," a combative Shah said after the Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav and Dharmendra Yadav spoke in favour of giving a quota to Muslims.

The Home minister said the Samajwadi Party members were saying that they would place the demand for a caste census but he would like to inform them that the government had already taken a decision to carry out the caste census and it would be carried out along with the population enumeration.

"Right now, the counting of households is underway and the households do not have any caste. If the Samajwadi Party had its way, they would determine the caste of households as well," he said.

Shah also said "if the Samajwadi Party gives all its tickets to Muslim women, where do we have any objection, we have no objections at all".

He said that during the population enumeration, the census authorities would keep a provision for caste enumeration, "which I personally want too".

"I want to make it clear that this census will be conducted along with caste enumeration," the home minister said.

The house listing under the census 2027 started on 1 April. The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on 30 April last year decided to include caste enumeration in the upcoming census. Caste was excluded from all census operations conducted since Independence.

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.

As per the proposal, the strength of the Lok Sabha will be increased to 815, of which 272 seats will be reserved for women - a total of 33 per cent.