Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad raised objections on the “procedure” being followed on the Bill. (PTI)The Rajya Sabha on Monday passed a Bill to expedite appointments of chairpersons and members of the national as well as the state human rights commissions. The Bill was passed by a voice vote.
During the session, the Opposition demanded that the Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2019, which was passed by Lok Sabha on Friday, be sent to a parliamentary panel for scrutiny.
Several Opposition MPs claimed that they were not given enough time to move amendments.
Participating in the debate, Congress MP Vivek K Tankha expressed an apprehension that the proposed changes in law would empower the government to handpick members. He suggested that the human rights track-record of experts appointed should be checked. He added that if the Bill was sent to a select committee or a standing committee, larger issues would be addressed.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in response to the Opposition’s demands, said the age limit for appointments had been reduced to fill vacancies. The new Bill provides for a reduction in the tenure of chairpersons of national and state human rights bodies to three years, from the current five years. It also stipulates that besides a former chief justice of India, as is the current requirement, a former Supreme Court judge can also be appointed as NHRC chairperson.
“There have been apprehensions that it will be a government committee … or members could be re-appointed after three years,” Shah said, pointing out that there was a panel for appointments.
If appointments are viewed with suspicion, then no democratic body can function, he said.
Opposition leaders who raised demands similar to Tankha include CPM’s Elmaram Kareem and TDP’s K Ravindra Kumar.
Raising a point of order, Trinamool MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray said that according to Rule 130, members should be given two working days to move amendments on a Bill. In the case of the current bill, the House was informed about the passage of the Bill only after 5 pm on Friday, he said, and asked if Rule 130 has been “disposed of”.
Leader of the Opposition and senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad raised objections on the “procedure” being followed on the Bill.
“Members of Parliament should be given time to move amendments,” he added.
To this, BJP’s Bhupender Yadav said amendments could be moved till 12 noon. He added that a member had moved one as well and that it had been circulated.
SP’s Ram Gopal Yadav pointed out “discrepancies” in the Bill. The senior SP member was of the view that if people in the administration are hopeful of appointments in these commissions, they would shy away from issuing adverse reports against the government.
Meanwhile, BJD’s Prasanna Acharya highlighted the large number of vacancies in these commissions.
