Lok Sabha passes Forest Conservation Amendment Bill after quick discussion

The Lok Sabha passed the Forest Conservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023 on Wednesday (July 26), after a quick discussion that lasted just 30 minutes. In the Rajya Sabha, All MPs from the INDIA coalition staged a walkout. 

The Forest Conservation Amendment Bill has triggered a lot of controversy, and was sent to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) earlier. The JPC’s report was presented in the Lok Sabha on July 20 as the Monsoon Session opened. Congress, Trinamool Congress and DMK MPs had sent dissent notes to the JPC on the Bill. 

Explainer: What is Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, which is ruffling feathers?

Six bills, including the one to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, were introduced in the Lok Sabha today amid protests by Opposition members over the violence in Manipur. 

Soon after laying of papers, Speaker Om Birla asked Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai to introduce the Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Bill, 2023. Manish Tewari of the Congress opposed the introduction of the bill, claiming the House lacked “legislative competence” to do so. He said the measure transgresses on the right to privacy and separation of power and suffers from the malady of excessive delegation. The bill was later introduced by a voice vote.

The House then took up the moving of a no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi government. After that, five other bills were introduced amid slogan-shouting by Opposition members over the Manipur issue.

Rai then moved to introduce the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023. The Bill was introduced by a voice vote with no Opposition member opposing its introduction.

J&K Reorganisation Bill

The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, was also introduced by Rai following a voice vote. Hasnain Masoodi of the National Conference (NC) opposed the introduction of the measure claiming that the Reorganisation Act is a “constitutionally suspect law”. He said the matter is subjudice, as the Supreme Court is examining the matter. “It is against constitutional propriety to amend an Act which is under judicial scrutiny,” he said.

Union ministers Virendra Kumar and Arjun Munda then introduced the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Castes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023, respectively.

Union minister Pralhad Joshi introduced the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2023. Opposing its introduction, NK Premachandran of the Revolutionary Socialist Party said it is against the principle of federalism. He said it will adversely affect public sector undertakings as well as the safety and security of the nation. He said multinational corporations will benefit from the amendment bill.

Watch | Monsoon Session begins: Controversial Bills, new friendships

Joshi said no objection can be raised on the legislative competence of Parliament with the regard to amending the mines and minerals law. The bill was introduced after a voice vote.

No confidence motion 

Earlier in the day, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla admitted a no-confidence motion notice submitted by the Opposition in the morning. Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were adjourned amid sloganeering by Opposition MPs demanding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi come to the House and a discussion be held over the Manipur issue. When the Houses resumed, the notice was accepted in the Lok Sabha.

All MPs from the INDIA coalition staged a walkout in the Rajya Sabha. Before the walkout, Leader of Opposition and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge told Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh that for the past five days, the Opposition had been demanding a discussion on Manipur. 

The PM comes to his office in Parliament but stays away from the House, he said. “All of us are ready for a discussion, we all want to keep our points before the House but this government doesn’t want to to hear the truth, it doesn’t want us to place the truth before the House and so we are all staging a walkout in protest against the behaviour of the government and its refusal to hear us,” he said.

Smriti Irani slams Opposition

Meanwhile, Union Minister of Women and Child Development Smriti Irani asked in the Rajya Sabha when the Opposition would discuss atrocities against women in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Bihar, which are run by non-BJP governments. 

Opinion: Let reality in Manipur be damned, what matters is narrative

Iranis attack came during Question Hour, when Amee Yajnik of the Congress asked whether women ministers would speak on Manipur. The Congress MP had been asked by the chair to ask a supplementary on a question on the performance of Indian universities when she brought up the Manipur issue.

At this, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar ticked her off, saying, “It will not go on record. It is indecorous conduct, it is misconduct. It is abuse of your power.”

A combative Irani also got up and countered Yajnik. “I take strong objections to this because women ministers and women politicians have spoken not only on Manipur, but also on Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Bihar. Tell me — when will you have the guts to discuss Rajasthan? When will you have the guts to discuss Chhattisgarh, when will you have the courage to discuss what is happening in Bihar…,” she said.

With agency inputs