The Congress party is likely to stay away from the joint parliamentary committee (JPC) tasked with examining three contentious Bills that seek the removal of top government functionaries arrested for 30 consecutive days on serious charges, party sources said on Monday. The decision is expected to be formally conveyed to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla soon.
At least three other opposition parties — Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and Aam Aadmi Party — have already announced that they will not participate in the panel. The Samajwadi Party has also indicated support for a united opposition boycott. While some parties have yet to declare their position, none have expressed willingness to join the committee.
Speaker’s Stand
Earlier this month, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had stated that no party had officially written to him regarding a boycott of the JPC.
“On the issue of JPC, no political party has communicated to me in writing on this subject,” Birla had told reporters.
Background on the Bills
On the last day of the Monsoon Session, Home Minister Amit Shah introduced three Bills in the Lok Sabha:
- The Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill
- The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill
- The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill
The proposed legislation provides for the removal of the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers, and other ministers if they are placed under arrest for 30 consecutive days on serious charges.
The introduction of the Bills triggered fierce opposition protests, with parties branding them unconstitutional and politically motivated to target opposition leaders in power across different states.
JPC Yet to Take Shape
The House had referred the Bills to a joint committee of Parliament for scrutiny. The committee is to comprise 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha, but it has not yet been constituted.
