NEW DELHI: Four eminent legal experts on Wednesday appeared before the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the 130th Constitutional Amendment Bill, which seeks the removal of Prime Ministers, Chief Ministers and other ministers facing serious criminal charges carrying a potential sentence of five years or more.
Parliamentary sources said the experts supported the Bill in principle but sought clarifications on several provisions across the three draft laws, flagging legal and constitutional issues that may require safeguards and careful drafting.
The JPC, chaired by BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi, is also examining the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill and the Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill.
Members of the panel sought clarity on whether the office of the Leader of the Opposition, a statutory post, would fall under the proposed law if the individual fails to secure bail within 30 days of arrest in serious criminal cases.
An opposition member suggested inviting leaders of political parties not represented on the committee to present their views on the three Bills. The proposal, however, did not find consensus among committee members.
The experts who deposed before the panel were Justice (Retd) Dinesh Maheshwari; Law Commission of India Chairperson Anju Rathi Rana; Prof G.S. Bajpai, Vice-Chancellor of National Law University, Delhi; and Prof Sri Krishna Deva Rao, Vice-Chancellor of NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad.
The experts have been asked to submit written opinions and respond formally to questions raised by Members of Parliament. The committee will meet again after two weeks.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Sarangi said discussions with officials and institutional representatives lasted nearly three hours. She said the next meeting of the panel is scheduled for January 22.
The 31-member committee comprises 21 Lok Sabha and 10 Rajya Sabha members. Sarangi said several political parties declined to join the panel despite being invited by the government.
NCP leader Supriya Sule, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal and YSR Congress Party member S. Niranjan Reddy are the only opposition members on the committee.
The Congress, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, DMK, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Aam Aadmi Party have refused to be part of the panel, arguing that the Bills violate the principle that an accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty.