Amid confusion over the last day of the Parliament session, lok Sabha on Friday passed five bills - including one that negates the Supreme Court order preventing people in custody to contest elections - in nine hours. One of the legislations was passed even without a discussion. later, around 10.30 lok Sabha adjourned sine die.
After more than a five-hour debate, lok Sabha passed the Street Vendors (Protection of livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Bill, which saw the light of the day 25 years after the Supreme Court asked the Centre to bring the legislation for the protection of livelihood of street vendors.
The Bill provides for security and protection of livelihood to all street vendors, having a vending certificate to be issued by the Town Vending Committee.
After this Bill, Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh moved the Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University Bill, 2013 which provides for creation of this central university on a 26-acre plot at the Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Udaan Academy at Fursatganj in Rae Bareli. It was passed after a short discussion.
The House then passed the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Bill, 2012, which aims at elimination of dry latrines and manual scavenging and the rehabilitation in alternate occupations of those engaged in this task.
After this legislation, House passed The Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Amendment Bill, 2013 that would keep chairpersons of National Commissions for the SC and ST out of the purview of the office of profit. The Bill, which has already been passed by the Rajya Sabha, was approved by lok Sabha without discussion.
The last legislation, The Representation of the People (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2013, was to negate the Supreme Court order, preventing people in custody to contest in elections. This Bill was earlier passed by Rajya Sabha and the apex court has agreed to review its order. It was rushed through in the lok Sabha and passed within about 15 minutes after a brief discussion.
Some members wanted an elaborate debate on the Bill but the overwhelming majority of the House, including leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj, pushed for its passage even without discussion.
Moving the Bill for consideration and passage, law Minister Kapil Sibal said, “The Supreme Court is right because it is final, it is not right because it is right.” Talking about the apprehensions caused by the apex court verdict, he said, “If an SHO decides to detain you on the eve of elections, then you cannot file nominations.”