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Special session: Women lawmakers hold protests and counter-protests inside and outside Uttar Pradesh Assembly
A day-long special session in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly saw protests and counter-protests by BJP and opposition lawmakers both inside the House and outside. Placards and slogans highlighted disputes over women's reservation and its implementation, with remarks from ministers and party leaders reflecting the political fault lines.
Why It Matters
The clashes center on the ongoing debate over women's reservation and its implementation, illustrating political mobilization around a key gender equality issue and the partisan stance of major parties.
Timeline
13 Events
Pinki Singh on 2023 implementation delay
April 30, 2026
SP MLA Pinki Singh said, 'Had this bill been implemented in 2023, parliament would have had 180 women MPs and not 75, today.'
Ragini Sonkar on 2023 implementation delay
April 30, 2026
SP MLA Ragini Sonkar said, 'Had this bill been implemented in 2023, parliament would have had 180 women MPs and not 75, today.'
Vijaylakshmi Gautam condemns the opposing actions
April 30, 2026
Minister of State Vijaylakshmi Gautam said, 'We strongly condemn the despicable act committed by the Samajwadi Party and the Congress in an attempt to hold back ‘half the population’ (women).'
Ketki Singh comments on the protest
April 30, 2026
BJP MLA Ketki Singh remarked that the protest represents the collective outrage of millions of women across the state.
Minister Baby Rani Maurya comments on opposition to women’s reservation
April 30, 2026
Minister for women welfare and child development Baby Rani Maurya said all Opposition parties, including the Samajwadi Party and the Congress, had opposed women’s reservation, and asserted that on this issue, all women stand united.
BJP statue-front protest and entrance to main hall
April 30, 2026
The women BJP legislators assembled in front of Chaudhary Charan Singh’s statue in the assembly complex, holding banners inscribed with 'Insult to Matrushakti (women’s power), India will not tolerate it'. They then entered the main hall carrying posters.
SP demonstration alleging BJP misleading the public
April 30, 2026
This followed another demonstration by Samajwadi Party MLAs, who alleged that the BJP was misleading the public in the name of women’s reservation.
BJP asserts opposition blocked the 131st Amendment bill
April 30, 2026
The BJP MLAs hit out at the Opposition for defeating the Constitution (131st Amendment) bill, which would have led to implementation of Women’s Reservation Law in the Lok Sabha.
BJP women MLAs protest inside the House
April 30, 2026
The BJP, mostly women MLAs, displayed placards with slogans such as 'jab jab chunav ataa hai vipaksh burkhe mein chhip jata hai' and 'Nari virodhi doob maro, apni kartooton pr sharam karo'.
Day-long special session begins on women's empowerment
April 30, 2026
The state legislature’s day-long special session convened to discuss women’s empowerment amid protests inside and outside the House.
Outside protests before session
April 30, 2026
Outside the House, women MLAs from BJP and Opposition held protests before the session began.
Pre-session protests inside the well of the House
April 30, 2026
Just before proceedings began, Opposition and BJP members came face to face in the well of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly and raised slogans, with Opposition shouting 'Jai Samvidhan Jai Bhim'.
Women’s reservation bill passed in Parliament in 2023; implementation pending
2023
The article notes that the women’s reservation bill, passed in Parliament in 2023, has not yet been implemented.