[New Delhi]Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Bill Passed In LK But Deferred in RS
The Congress chief is a permanent member of the panel.Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad demanded that the bill should be deferred as the “heaven will not fall in one or two months”.
LOP said this was the time to mourn the death of Swaraj, one of the tallest political leaders. “Let’s not fight today,” he said.
The Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (amendment) Bill, which seeks to remove the Congress president as a trustee, could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday in the absence of a broad consensus on the legislation.
The government in the Upper House urged members to pass the Bill without discussion as this year marked the centenary of the Jallianwala massacre and also in view of the death of former external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj.
Culture Minister Prahalad Singh Patel moved the Bill in the House further to amend the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial Act, 1951, as passed by Lok Sabha on August 2 for consideration and passage without debate.
Anand Sharma (Cong), however said the minister must be allowed to talk about salient features of the Bill, which was agreed to by the minister.
The bill seeks to amend this to include the leader of largest Opposition party in Lok Sabha as a member.
Sharma said members don’t want any acrimony or argument on the last day of the session but the issue pertained to national sentiments related to India’s Independence.
Ram Gopal Yadav (SP) said there should not be any acrimony today in view of Swaraj’s death, a view echoed by Satish Chandra Misra (BSP).
Derek O’Brien (TMC) said there was an option of either taking up the bill and discuss it or not taking it up.
Naidu said the Congress was not ready and also objected to the behaviour of some members.
The amendment bill also paves the way for the leader of the single largest opposition party in the Lok Sabha to be a member of the trust.
But no such post exists at present as no non-BJP party has won the required 10 per cent of total seats to get the status.
As of now, the trust which manages the memorial, has the prime minister as the chairperson, President of Indian National Congress, Culture Minister, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Punjab governor, Punjab CM as its members.
Later the House was adjourned sine die.