Overview
- Aparajita Sarangi said the Joint Parliamentary Committee will meet West Bengal, Telangana and Karnataka to gather their views, with more states to be called after polls in some places.
- The amendment would remove a prime minister, chief minister or minister upon arrest and detention for offences carrying five or more years in prison, replacing the current removal-on-conviction threshold, and it covers Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu & Kashmir.
- Opposition lawmakers including Asaduddin Owaisi and Supriya Sule warned of potential misuse, cited Article 14 and federalism concerns, and noted bail hurdles under PMLA and UAPA.
- Madhya Pradesh’s chief secretary told the panel the state fully supports the bill, Rajasthan had earlier endorsed key provisions, and PRS Legislative Research and the Indian Law Institute suggested changes without questioning the government’s intent.
- The committee has held six sittings, heard 14 organisations and two states, plans to consult legal experts and bar bodies, and scheduled its next meeting for March 10.