JOIN USAmid opposition objections and walkout, Rajya Sabha passed an amendment to a 50-year-old law barring those who migrated to Pakistan after 1965 and 71 wars from taking over their properties.
Just before the Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Bill 2016 was taken up for business, opposition complained about the Bill being considered on a day when most of its members were absent and demanded postponement of discussions to next week.
The Bill has been pending in the Upper House since March last year after being passed by the Lok Sabha, prompting the government to promulgate the ordinance six times.
On February 6, the Supreme Court had put the onus of debating the matter on the Parliament despite agreeing that the state has rights over the enemy property.
Post the Bill’s passing by the Lok Sabha, the it was sent to the Select Committee that suggested amendments which the government included and sent it back to the Lower House for the final passage.
As the bill was taken up for passage in the Upper House, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said many senior members, including Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, could not be present in the House for various reasons and wanted the discussion to be taken up next week. MPs like Javed Ali Khan (SP) and Sukhendu Shekhar Roy (Trinamool Congress) supported Ramesh on the issue.