Congress, opposition boycott Parliament panel on ousting jailed ministers bills
What's the story
The Indian National Congress has decided not to join the joint parliamentary committee examining three controversial bills, PTI reported. The bills, introduced by Home Minister Amit Shah in the Lok Sabha on the last day of the Monsoon Session, seek to remove top government functionaries arrested for 30 consecutive days on serious charges. The proposed laws include: Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, Constitution (One Hundred And Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, and Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill.
Boycott consensus
Congress's decision follows unanimous opposition boycott
The Congress's decision comes after a unanimous decision by opposition parties to boycott the committee. The Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and Aam Aadmi Party had earlier announced their non-participation. The Samajwadi Party also supported this united stand against joining the panel. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had earlier said, "On the issue of JPC, no political party has communicated to me in writing on this subject."
Panel scrutiny
Bills have faced backlash, called unconstitutional
The bills have faced fierce opposition protests, with critics calling them unconstitutional and aimed at targeting opposition leaders. The Lok Sabha has sent the bills to a joint committee of Parliament for scrutiny. This panel will have 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha. However, it is yet to be formed.