Amit Shah Unhappy With Party MP’s For Bunking Rajya Sabha Session:- Allowing the Opposition to affect crucial changes to the backward classes bill, BJP chief Amit Shah is unhappy with his party MPs bunking the Rajya Sabha session on Monday.

A strict view of the absence was taken over by Shah said Union Minister Ananth Kumar. He further asked the law makers not to repeat this ever.

At the BJP’s weekly meeting of Parliamentarians, Shah told the lawmakers on Tuesday morning, “This is not a good thing as people have elected MPs to represent them in the House. It sends a wrong message.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi too has taken up the case of absent or truant MPs. Modi just last week said the MPs that they need to be present when Houses are in session. The Prime Minister, observing MPs were particularly absent after lunch had said it is the duty of the treasury benches to push through the government’s legislative initiatives.

It is understood that the Prime Minister has sought a list of the MPs missing the session on Monday.

On Monday, when a Constitution amendment bill on backward classes sailed through on Opposition power where it is in the majority, over 30 MPs of the BJP and allies were not in the Rajya Sabha. Since the government does not have numbers in the Rajya Sabha, the letter to MPs is clear: be present in full strength to challenge the Opposition. To this effect, there is a party whip too.

The Opposition’s amendments were passed by 74 to 52 votes. The BJP’s strength is 56 while the ruling block enjoys the support of 88 members, counting 10 JD(U) MPs.

“The Constitution (123rd Amendment) Bill, 2017, providing for setting up of a National Commission for Backward Classes, was passed after dropping Clause 3, to which four amendments was approved by the House earlier. The dropped clause pertains to the insertion of a new article 338B about the constitution and powers of the National Commission for Backward Classes.”

The amended bill for its fresh approval will now have to be returned to the Lok Sabha. The bill had already been passed in the Lower House, but it had been referred to a Select Committee in the Upper House, as the Opposition had wanted more scrutiny.

SUPRAJA