The Rajya Sabha witnessed uproar on the last day of the Monsoon Session over the Constitutional Amendments Bill forcing two adjournments and an apology from law minister Kapil Sibal before the Opposition allowed the House proceedings to continue peacefully.
Mr Sibal landed in an embarrassing situation when it came to light that there was a technical error in the bill that had been passed by the Upper House on Thursday . The error was pointed out by parliamentary affairs minister Kamal Nath. The bill had sought to pave way for the creation on a new system of appointment of judges in the country, something which Mr Sibal had termed an extremely urgent matter and sought the cooperation of the Upper House to pass it.
On Saturday, the BJP used the opportunity to attack the government. “I am deeply anguished with the fact that Constitutional Amendment Bill could not be taken up by Lok Sabha,” Mr Sibal said after Opposition members created an uproar, saying the legislation was rushed through in the Upper House but not taken up in the Lower House which was adjourned sine die on Friday. He explained that there was an error in the title of the bill. When introduced, it was titled Constitution (120th) Amendment Bill, but when passed it should have read as Constitution (99th) Amendment Bill.
“The Secretariat realised some error has taken place. The patent error was immediately intimated to the chairman who corrected it and transmitted to Lok Sabha. The bill was printed and ready for passage. However, I regret despite our best efforts it could not be taken up by Lok Sabha. It was not intentional,” he said. The bill was passed by the RS two days back amid a walkout by BJP which wanted it to be referred to a parliamentary standing committee. “I say once again that despite our best efforts, I am sorry the bill could not be passed in the Lok Sabha. I regret it.”
Mr Sibal said when the Opposition was adamant that he apologise to allow the House to function.
BJP deputy leader in Rajya Sabha Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “Home work was not done. We were misled into passing it... The minister has committed a mistake, he should feel sorry for his act. Law minister should apologise to the House. He must apologise, anguish would not do.”
Deputy chairman, P.J. Kurien said that it was only a ‘’patent error’’ and not a ‘’fatal error’’ and to ‘’err is human’’. Earlier, parliamentary affairs minister Kamal Nath said government was keen on taking the bill for passage in the Lok Sabha. However, as a result of some “patent and technical error”, it could not be taken up. “If process had been gone through, we could have taken it up (in the Lok Sabha),” Mr Nath said.