Lok Sabha passes Constitution 127th Amendment Bill, Oppn lends a hand

The Lok Sabha on Monday passed the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2021. The Bill will amend the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order of 1950, empowering the legislative to rework the list of scheduled tribes mentioned in it. It also aims to restore power to states to identify backward classes.

In a major shift from the ruckus seen in Parliament over the past few days, the Opposition for the first time decided to cooperate with the government in getting the Bill passed in both the houses.

“The amendment is to give back power to states to identify social and economic backward classes. The Supreme Court, in May 2021, had ruled that only the Centre can do so,” Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said earlier in a strategy meeting of opposition parties held to discuss the Bill.

“More than half of the population in the country belongs to the backward class. The bill will be introduced, will be considered on and will be passed on the same day,” ANI quoted Kharge as saying.

Also read: LS TV recorded only 72 sec of Oppn in 45-min House proceeding: Report

In the morning, Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Dr Virendra Kumar had introduced the Bill (also called the Constitution 127th Amendment Bill) in the Lok Sabha amid protests and sloganeering by opposition MPs.

The Lok Sabha also passed the Limited Liability Partnership (Amendment) Bill, 2021, and the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2021 on Monday.