Saralnama
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Samajwadi Party (SP) have decided not to nominate members to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) formed to examine three bills that propose removal of the prime minister, chief ministers, or ministers if arrested for 30 consecutive days on serious charges. TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien called the committee a “farce,” criticizing it as skewed in favor of the ruling party due to its majority and alleging that opposition amendments are routinely defeated. The bills under scrutiny include the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, the Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Amendment Bill, and the Government of Union Territories Amendment Bill, all introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 20. These bills propose that ministers or the prime minister can lose office if detained for 30 days on offences punishable by five years or more in jail. The bills have faced strong opposition protests and have been referred to a 31-member JPC comprising members from both Houses. O’Brien also linked the formation of the JPC to a government attempt to distract from the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls in Bihar. The Samajwadi Party has not issued an official statement but reportedly shares TMC’s position. Opposition… (Updated 24 Aug 2025, 12:56 IST; source: link)