New Delhi: The Narendra Modi government passed important Bills even as 146 MPs – both from Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, were suspended for what is claimed ‘disrupting’ the Parliament proceedings.
The Lok Sabha had on Wednesday December 20, 2023 passed the three Bills, introduced on the last day of the 2023 Monsoon Session, to replace the existing criminal laws - the Indian Penal Code (IPC) formed in 1860, the Criminal Procedure Code, formed in 1898 and the Indian Evidence Act, formed in 1872.
The Bill to replace these three laws passed by the Lok Sabha Wednesday are Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023; Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023; and Bharatiya Sakshya Bill that will respectively replace IPC, CrPC and Evidence Act.
Another important Bill that was passed by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday and by the Rajya Sabha today was the Telecommunications Bill 2023.
The Narendra Modi government through the newly passed Telecom Bill seeks to temporarily take control of telecom services in what it said "the interest of national security", and provide a non-auction route for the allocation of satellite spectrum.
“The provision in this Bill says that spectrum will be given through auction only except for a narrowly defined category of Schedule 1 which has 19 items, which deal with public utility and such spectrum that cannot be auctioned because of technical reasons,” Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.
“A significant spectrum reform is being brought which will pull the telecom sector out from the dark ages of corruption and scams like the 2G. Those responsible must answer how they made a pious resource a medium of their corruption,” he added.
Another important Bill passed by the Lok Sabha Thursday is Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023. This Bill was earlier approved by the Rajya Sabha amidst the walkout by the opposition members.
The bill aims to establish procedures for the appointment of the three members of the Election Commission of India (ECI). It directly conflicts with the Supreme Court's direction that the Election Commission should be selected by a panel comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and the Chief Justice of India (CJI).
The Lok Sabha on Thursday also passed Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023 by a voice vote. The Bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha in August this year during the Monsoon Session.
The Congress and other Opposition parties had earlier alleged that the government's intention behind the suspension of MPs in such a large number is to pass the key Bills without debate. After passing the Bill in the Winter Session, the Parliament was adjourned sine die a day before the schedule.
The Bills were passed today and yesterday as the Opposition benches were almost empty as the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha secretariats in the last ten days have suspended 146 MPs – all from different Opposition parties.
As many as 14 MPs were suspended on December 14, 78 MPs were banned from the Parliament on Monday December 18, 49 met the similar fate Tuesday December 19 and 05 on Thursday 21, 2023.
The MPs were suspended from the two houses of the Indian Parliament for questioning lapses in the security of the Parliament. Ironically, the suspended MPs have also been barred from entering the Parliament lobby, chamber and galleries.
The Opposition parties’ protest came following the serious security breach of the Parliament on December 13 when two men armed with gas canisters entered the Lok Sabha and hurled yellow smoke on the MPs.
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