The stage is set for the passage of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) 2014 in Parliament. There is an informal agreement within the political parties that the Bill can be passed after a discussion in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. The Lok Sabha had passed the Bill during the budget session.
Though the Centre brought the Bill for consideration and passage through a supplementary list of business, the Opposition insisted that it can be passed only on Tuesday, as three other Bills were listed for Monday in the Rajya Sabha.
Opposition members also questioned the Centre’s intention of not including the Bill in the first list and said it was included in the supplementary list to create an impression that the Opposition is working against the Bill.
Opposition leader Ghulam Nabi Azad alleged that the Centre is playing mischief to divert attention from the DDCA scam. The Congress will support the Bill, he told the Rajya Sabha.
“The government wants to create an impression that we are against the Bill. If they were so keen to pass the Bill, why did not they add it in the list of business? Why did they bring it before the House as an additional agenda?” he asked.
The House passed a Bill to prevent atrocities against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and two Appropriation Bills unanimously without any discussions on Monday.
Citing this, Azad said the Centre should try to create consensus among political parties and not seek to break it.
Earlier, Trinamool Congress leader Derek Obrien said while the whole country was waiting for the Bill, the government turned a blind eye towards the issue. “For the Juvenile Justice Bill, the people are waiting outside. The country is watching us. What are we doing? We are discussing commercial courts, real estate and arbitration. Much more important than all this is the Juvenile Justice Bill. I urge the government to first put this Bill on the agenda,” he said.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs MA Naqvi responded to this saying the Bill was in the list for two days. He added that the Centre is committed for the passage of the Bill.
Holds parleysMinister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi held informal parleys with opposition leaders on the Bill. After the discussions, it was decided that the Bill will be taken up on Tuesday.
After the release of the juvenile convict in the December 16, 2012 ‘Nirbhaya’ Delhi gang-rape case, there has been a clamour for the passage of the Bill at the earliest. “Because of the Opposition, particularly Congress, the Bill till date has not been passed. There is concern and outrage in the country,” Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said.