Forced to refer controversial bill to select committee

After facing severe criticism from all quarters, Rajasthan government has referred the controversial Criminal Laws (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill, 2017, to a select committee.

While making the announcement, Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria said in the Assembly on Tuesday that the 15 member committee will submit its report within 42 days, before the bill lapses.

Kataria will head the committee and members of the Opposition, too, will be included. The minister also informed the Assembly that the ordinance was issued after the President’s sanction. The move comes after Vasundhara held a late-night meeting on Monday with ministers and senior bureaucrats in the face of widespread criticism over the order.