Parliamentary Showdown: Amendments Stir Major Debate

The inaugural meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee to examine the Constitution Amendment Bill, 2024 sparked lively exchanges between the ruling and opposition parties. Discussions centered on reducing election costs and maintaining governance stability, with opposing views on constitutional values and democratic processes dominating the discourse.

The Joint Parliamentary Committee convened its first meeting to scrutinize the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill, 2024, a session that ignited fierce debates between government forces and opposition voices. Stakeholders presented divergent perspectives on the proposed legislation, emphasizing its potential ramifications on governance and electoral costs.

Senior Law and Justice Ministry officials delivered an in-depth presentation, stressing historical reform influences since the 1950s. They aim to curtail election expenditure and bolster governance stability, framing the core of their argument for the amendment. Lawmakers from various parties subsequently voiced their concerns, rooted in political agendas and potential constitutional impacts.

Opposition members, including Congress's Manish Tiwari and Samajwadi Party's Dharmendra Yadav, sharply criticized the bill as unconstitutional and harmful to democratic norms. DMK members highlighted threats to federalism, while TMC's Kalyan Banerjee questioned the bill's alignment with federal principles.

(With inputs from agencies.)