The ongoing Winter Session of Parliament is in its final stretch, with only two days left for its conclusion. The session has stood out for record number of suspensions of the Opposition’s MPs from the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha – altogether 143 suspended MPs so far – the highest in Indian parliamentary history.
On Thursday, the Rajya Sabha is set to take up three criminal justice Bills for consideration and passing, which figure in its revised list of business for the day.
The three Bills aim to overhaul the country’s criminal justice system by replacing colonial-era laws.
These Bills include the Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita, 2023, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita, 2023, and the Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill, 2023, which will replace, respectively, the Indian Penal Code (IPC) of 1860, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973 (originally enacted in 1898), and the Indian Evidence Act of 1872.
The Lok Sabha passed these Bills Wednesday by a voice note amid rows of empty benches, with 97 Opposition members having been suspended in the Lower House so far. Replying to the debate on the Bills, Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserted that their focus is on delivering speedy justice rather than handing down punishment.
On the official list of the Lok Sabha’s business on Thursday are two Bills for consideration and passing: The Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service, and Term of Office) Bill, 2023 and The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023.
The first Bill seeks to regulate the appointment of the CEC and two ECs by constituting a three-member selection committee comprising the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition and a Cabinet Minister. The Bill, already passed by the Rajya Sabha, retains the status of the ECs on par with the Supreme Court judges.
The second Bill seeks to replace the existing Press and Registration of Books (PRB) Act, 1867, which governs the registration of print and publishing industry in the country.
Meanwhile, as the standoff between the government and the Opposition continues, the Opposition MPs are likely to continue their protests within and outside Parliament. They would hold a protest at Jantar Mantar Thursday.
CWC meeting
Just months ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, slated for April-May 2024, the political parties are now clearly in the election mode.
All India Congress Committee (AICC) chief Mallikarjun Kharge has called a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) – the party’s highest decision-making body – on Thursday to deliberate on the party’s plans and preparations for the 2024 polls.
In a sombre mood after the party’s debilitating defeat in the recent Assembly polls in three key Hindi heartland states – worsened by the unprecedented mass suspension of its MPs and that of the Opposition – the Congress top brass would assess the party’s preparedness for the 2024 elections and chalk out its roadmap on campaign and alliances, as Manoj CG reports.
This comes two days after the INDIA alliance’s Delhi conclave, which discussed the Opposition grouping’s strategy and roadmap for the 2024 polls.
Manoj CG reports on key takeaways from the INDIA bloc’s meeting, He writes: “The meeting revealed the faultlines within the alliance. Sparks flew several times. The SP’s Ram Gopal Yadav told the Congress to decide whether it wants to go with his party or the BSP in Uttar Pradesh. The BSP is not a constituent of the INDIA bloc. He told the Congress that it has to make up its mind first. The parties also could not pass a unanimous resolution against EVMs.”
ED summons to Kejriwal
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) issued fresh summons to Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal to appear before it on Thursday in connection with its investigations in the Delhi excise policy case.
But Kejriwal would not appear before the ED as he is away on a Vipassana session.
The AAP leaders claimed Kejriwal’s Vipassana session was “pre-scheduled” and that this information was in the public domain. “He (Kejriwal) will be consulting lawyers. They will decide what answer has to be given to the ED and whether any reply is to be given at all or not. It has been announced that he will go for Vipassana,” AAP MP Raghav Chadha said.
Vipassana seems to be a trusted routine for many in the political fraternity. From Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to former president Ram Nath Kovind, many happen to be avowed believers of the technique.
Gyanvapi case hearing
On Monday, the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) submitted a survey report in a sealed cover on the Gyanvapi mosque complex in the Varanasi district court. The next hearing on the matter is on Thursday.
The survey was carried out on the direction of the district court’s July 21 order that mentioned the need to survey beneath the mosque’s domes, the cellars and the western wall. It said the ASI should also examine the plinth and pillars to determine the age and nature of the building. The court had asked the ASI to ensure that there is no damage to the structure standing on the disputed land. The July 21 direction was on a plea filed by a group of women seeking the right of regular worship of sculptures of Hindu deities on the mosque’s outer wall.
The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid committee had challenged the district court’s order in the Allahabad High Court and the Supreme Court. The appeal was dismissed by both the courts, paving way for the survey to begin on August 4. The SC, however, had asked the ASI not to carry out any invasive act during the survey, ruling out any excavation.
—- With PTI inputs