The Editorial Page: Trump’s Munir-Modi balancing will not bring back India-Pak hyphenation 10 FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2026 Journalism of Courage luCkNOW, lAtE CIty, 18 PAgES ₹6.00 l www.indianexpress.com DA I ly f R O M : A h M E DA b A D , C h A N D I gA R h , D E l h I , j A I P u R , kO l k AtA , l u C k N O W , M u M b A I , N Ag P u R , PAt N A , P u N E , VA D O DA R A LOK SABHA DEBATES BILLS ON WOMEN QUOTA, DELIMITATION, HOUSE STRENGTH INCREASE Pass the Bill, or women of India won’t forgive: PM to Parliament 2023lawcomes intoforceas NDAshortof numbers,Govt weighsoptions Liz Mathew, Vikas Pathak & Deeptiman Tiwary New Delhi, April 16 Visitors watch the proceedings in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. PtI RELATED REPORTS, PAGE 12 ‘Delimitation will not discriminate against any state, proportion of seats in Lok Sabha will remain the same’ Vikas Pathak Divya A, Asad Rehman, Nikhil Ghanekar & Anonna Dutt New Delhi, April 16 ADDRESSING CONCERNS over representation, especially in southern and smaller states, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Thursday that no state will be discriminated against in the delimitation of constituencies linked to the reservation of seats for women in Lok Sabha and state Assemblies. He said “the proportion of seats (in Lok Sabha) will not change”. He cautioned Opposition parties that women of the country would not forgive Priyanka, Akhilesh lead Opp charge: Using women quota to change poll map, ignore OBCs Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha, Thursday. PtI themiftheyweretostallimplementation of the proposed law for “inclusion of 50% of the »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 E. »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Business as Usual New Delhi, April 16 MOUNTING A scathing attack on the government over its decisiontobringtheBillstothe House in the middle of Assemblyelections,leadersofOpposition parties Thursday accused the BJP of using the plank of reservation of seats for women to push for delimitation of constituencies to seek electoral advantage. The Constitution (131st Amendment)Billtoamendthe WITH THE NDA short of numbers in Lok Sabha for the passage of Constitution amendment Bills linked to reservation of seats for women in Parliament and state Assemblies, the government, as it weighed its options, issued a By EP UNNY Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra speaks in Lok Sabha. PtI women’s quota law was introducedinLokSabhaafteradivision of votes demanded by »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 275 FAMILIES AFFECTED Family loses daughters — aged 2 yrs and 2 months — in Lucknow blaze Bhupendra Pandey Lucknow, April 16 HOURS AFTER a massive blaze in a slum gutted more than 300 shanties, the charred bodies of two young girls, both sisters,wererecoveredbyafirefighting team from the spot in Lucknow’s Vikas Nagar Thursday morning. Confirming the casualties, Chief Fire Officer, Lucknow, AnkushMittal,toldTheIndian Express that fire brigade teams were at the spot, ensuring the blaze was completely doused, when they spotted the bodies. No other fatality has been reported, he added. The children have been People collect their belongings amid charred remains in the slum area in Lucknow, Thursday. VIShAl SRIVAStAV identified as 2-year-old Shruti and her two-month-old sister. They are daughters of Satish, a labourerfromtheadjoiningBa- Iran has pledged not to have nukes; may visit Pak if deal ready: Trump Reuters Washington, April 16 USPRESIDENTDonaldTrump said on Thursday that if a deal with Iran to conclude the war is reached and signed in Islamabad, he might go, and that Iran has agreed to almost everything. “If a deal is signed in Islamabad I may go,” Trump said. “They want me.” Trump struck an optimistic toneaboutIranashespokewith reporters on the White House lawn on his way to a trip to Ne- rabanki district who has been living in this slum for the last few years along with his family, »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Govtshould nominate membersto TataTrusts,say sometrustees George Mathew Mumbai, April 16 US President Donald Trump at the White House, Thursday. AP ISRAEL, LEBANON AGREE TO TRUCE: TRUMP, PAGE 13 vada and Arizona. He said he could extend a US-Iran »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 THE GOVERNMENT should consider one or two trustees on the board of Tata Trusts “to restore order and credibility”, according to some trustees. “There is a good case for the government to appoint one or two trustees of high standing like former judges or reputed scientists to restore order and »CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Lucknow