New Delhi (TIP)- Amid uproar over Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks related to B R Ambedkar, the Lok Sabha on Friday, December 20, referred the two bills on simultaneous polls to a joint committee of Parliament.
Opposition members were raising slogan haling Ambedkar and slamming Shah when the House met for the day.
Instead of taking up the Question Hour, Speaker Om Birla asked Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal to move the resolution to refer the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024 referred to Joint Committee of Parliament comprising 27 members from the Lok Sabha and 12 from the Rajya Sabha. The resolution was adopted by a voice vote amid noisy scenes. The Lok Sabha was then adjourned sine die (indefinitely), bringing to an end the Winter session which began on November 25.
The two ‘one nation, one election’ (ONOE) bills, including one requiring an amendment in the Constitution, lay down the mechanism to hold simultaneous elections and were introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday after a fiery debate.
BJP MP Bhartruhari Mahtab is being considered to head the joint committee of Parliament that will scrutinise the two bills proposing simultaneous elections, sources said.
With the BJP set to get the position of the chair for the crucial panel, official sources said Mahtab’s parliamentary experience may weigh in his favour. The strength of the committee was increased from 31 MPs to 39, giving representation to more parties. While the panel already includes BJP’s P P Chaudhury and Anurag Thakur, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra of the Congress is another prominent member on the committee. Among the Lok Sabha members, 17 are from the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, including 12 from the BJP.
Lok Sabha adjourns sine die amid protest by Congress
The Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die on Friday, December 20, after four weeks of high drama and protests, which crippled the Parliament.
As soon as the Lok Sabha convened for the day, the Speaker called Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal to present a resolution for setting up a joint committee of Parliament to examine the bills related to ‘one nation, one election’. Slogans of ‘Jai Bhim’ reverberated in the House as the Speaker read out directions barring demonstrations and protests at the gates of Parliament.
As the protests continued, the Speaker adjourned the House sine die.
Even before the House proceedings began, Congress members started raising slogans “Jai Bheem, Jai Jai Bheem”.
Amid the slogans by the opposition, Prime Minister Narendra Modi entered the Lok Sabha chamber.
The Winter Session saw a standoff between the Congress and BJP with charges of ‘attempt to murder’ against the Opposition and they demand resignation of the Home Minister over remark on BR Ambedkar.
The Opposition MPs staged a protest at Vijay Chowk here on Friday again demanding Home Minister Amit Shah’s apology and resignation for allegedly “insulting” BR Ambedkar.
They also carried out a protest march from Vijay Chowk to Parliament. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also slammed the BJP over the FIR filed against the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, saying it “shows their desperation level”.