RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, Dec.23: The BJP MLAs made uproar after the reply of Parliamentary Affairs Minister Alamgir Alam on the matter passing the twin bills despite the objection of the law department.
The situation came during the question hour when Alam said the government did nothing wrong passing the twin bills, one identifying locals on the basis of 1932 Khatiyan and another increasing percentage of ST, SC and OBC reservation.
Alam said the decision was taken after a cabinet decision. He supported the government’s stand saying Jharkhand comes under the Fifth scheduled area and the government in the state has every right to protect the interest of local people.
Apart from this, the government has passed the bill with a request to Parliament to approve the same and include it in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution to ensure that it cannot be challenged in the court.
The reply came after BJP legislator Amit Kumar Mandal two days ago citing a report of Lagatar24.com in the house had asked how come the government introduced and passed the twin bill despite legal objection by the law department. He was of the opinion that the action of the house was unconstitutional and there was every possibility of getting it scrapped during judicial review.
The parliamentary affairs minister Alam was of the opinion that if the bill passed from the house is included in the Schedule IX of the constitution it will get immunity from judicial review like as many as 284 laws.
BJP legislator Mandal while raising the question had said even if the bill will be included in the IXth schedule it can be judicially reviewed. Alam, on which, said as the bill is not disturbing the basic infrastructure of the constitution, it does not come under the purview of judicial review.
Due to uproar, the assembly speaker adjourned the house at 11.40am till 12 noon.
Earlier, the BJP legislators staged demonstrations outside the house demanding extension of service of 10388 Poshan Sakhi and a bridge over Barbendia river to connect Dhanbad with Jamtara and protesting against atrocities against women.