No united Opposition? TMC, SP to opt out of JPC on PM, CMs removal bill; Congress still on board
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New Delhi: Exposing chinks in I.N.D.I.A bloc over how to design their opposition to the Bills seeking removal of top political executives if in custody for 30 days, Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party on Saturday decided that it will not join the Joint Committee of Parliament examining the Bills even as Congress indicated its inclination to be part of the panel.
An official statement by the Trinamool said, “We opposed The Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, 2025 at the stage of introduction and in our view the JPC is a farce. Therefore, we are not nominating anyone from AITC.” SP sources said they were also not nominating any MP to the panel.
Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha floor leader Derek O'Brien said in a blog post that both the parties took the decision because the Modi government is pushing to form the JPC to examine an “unconstitutional bill” and it is a “stunt performed to create a distraction” from Special Intensive Revision (vote chori).
"Someone needed to call a stunt a stunt. I am glad we did,” O'Brien wrote.
Top Congress sources indicated that they are inclined to join the Parliamentary panel as absence from the committee would mean that their opinions and objections would not be recorded. RJD sources said no call on the committee has been taken yet.
Sources said the Trinamool and SP felt that by joining the committee, they were playing into the hands of the BJP, which wants to raise a bogey on corruption.
“The BJP wants to keep the pot boiling. See what they are doing with the JPC on 'One Nation, One Election' Bills. We don't want to help the BJP do the same thing for next six months and create a narrative on corruption,” a senior leader said.
Amid vociferous Opposition protest, Home Minister Amit Shah had last Wednesday introduced The Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, 2025, The Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Act, 2025 in Lok Sabha seeking the removal of Prime Minister, Chief Ministers and central and state ministers if they are arrested and remain in custody for 30 days in a row on offences that attract a jail term of at least five years.
The Bill was later referred to a Joint Committee of Parliament.
At a meeting of I.N.D.I.A. bloc last Wednesday, the day Bills were referred to the committee, Trinamool Congress had argued that the entire Opposition should boycott the Joint Committee proceedings.
However, CPI(M) and RSP leaders were of the view that boycotting the JPC was not prudent as they would not have an official platform to record their opposition. A section of leaders were inclined to the idea.
There have been differences within the I.N.D.I.A bloc over participating in the discussion at the "introduction" of the Bill, with Congress and others, barring Trinamool, joining it while protesting. However, the Trinamool was against it and vehemently protested.