NEW DELHI : The Rajya Sabha today disrupted till noon over protests by the BJP and other parties demanding that Law Minister Kapil Sibal apologise to the House because a Bill to amend the Constitution to enable creation of a judicial appointments commission for appointing judges in higher judiciary was passed in a ‘haste’ with some ‘patent error’.
The protest led to adjournment of the House twice — first till 1118 hrs and then till 1203 hrs.
Soon after the House met for the day, BJP member Ravi Shankar Prasad raised the issue saying that the Lok Sabha did not pass the Bill then why there was ‘hurry’ to pass the Bill in the Rajya Sabha.
He said Mr Sibal got the Bill passed in the Upper House in a ‘rush’ citing ‘urgency’ as the principal Opposition party had demanded that the Bill be referred to a Standing Committee.
Mr Prasad alleged that the Government bypassed the Standing Committee.
The BJP Deputy Leader demanded that Mr Sibal come in the House and explain the situation.
The JD(U), the AIADMK, and the Left also supported
Mr Prasad saying that the member must know what the ‘patent’ error was.
Deputy Chairman P J Kurien tried to pacify the agitated members and said the House cannot discuss why a particular Bill was not passed in the another House.
The Opposition members refused to relent as
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath said there was some ‘patent and technical error’ due to which the Bill could not be taken up in the Lok Sabha
Mr Prasad said if there was
“techincal/fundamental/patent error”, it was “obvious that the Law Minister was not ready with the Bill”.
“The Law Minister must come to the House and apologise,”
He demanded.
Prof Kurien adjourned the House for 15 minutes till 1118
Hrs as the ruckus continued.
The members again raised the matter when the House re-assembled. The disruption again led to adjournment of the House till 1203 hrs.
The Constitution (One Hundred and Twentieth Amendment) Bill, 2013, that proposes to insert a new Article 124A to constitute a judicial appointments commission to restore primacy of the Executive in appointments of judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts, was passed by the Rajya Sabha on Thursday with a majority of the membership of the House and the two thirds of members present.
The BJP had staged a walkout asserting that the Bill, aimed at creating the Judicial Appointments Commission, be referred to a Parliamentary Standing Committee. (AGENCIES)
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