Thiruvananthapuram: The Congress-led UDF opposition in Kerala on Wednesday wrote to Governor Arif Mohammed Khan requesting him not to give assent to two bills passed without any discussion in the House by the state Assembly on June 10.
The letter on behalf of the UDF was sent by Congress Parliamentary Party Secretary A P Anil Kumar, who urged Khan not to give assent to the Kerala Panchayati Raj (Second Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the Kerala Municipality (Second Amendment) Bill, 2024. .
The letter said that both the bills were passed by the Kerala Assembly in relaxation of the rules of procedure and conduct of business in the Kerala Assembly.
It also said that as per the agenda of the Assembly on June 10, both the bills were to be introduced in the House and then sent to the subject committee.
“However, on June 10, 2024, when the opposition was protesting in the well of the House demanding vigilance and anti-corruption investigation and registration of a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act on Bar bribery charges, the Speaker gave permission to the concerned minister. Gave it.To move a motion to pass a bill...
"Subsequently, the Bills were passed without the participation of the opposition members. The opposition members were not given an opportunity to present their proposals and arguments in the important legislation relating to division of wards in local self-government bodies," the letter said. "
It further said that although there have been instances where such extraordinary power has been used, they were with the consent of the opposition.
"This action of the government to hastily pass the Bill, contrary to what is specified in the agenda and without leaving the subject for the consideration of the Committee, is against the basic principles of natural justice of hearing the other side," the letter said. ,
Kumar also said that the reason given by the government to justify its action was "not good".The opposition claimed that both the bills provide for delimitation of local body wards based on 2011 census data.
It further said that while the latest data based on the upcoming census is expected in a few years, "the hasty step raises doubts as the population growth in the last 10 years is significant, on the basis of which the upcoming census was planned Is".
Kumar also said that Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly V D Satheesan has lodged a written protest with the Speaker against depriving opposition members of the right to express their views on the bills.
“Although the Speaker has agreed with the opposition's argument, the point of order raised in this regard has been resolved by the Speaker.
“Thus, in order to maintain the spirit of democracy and the values enshrined in our Constitution, I request you to assent to the Kerala Panchayat Raj (Second Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the Kerala Municipal Corporations (Second Amendment) Bill, 2024. Avoid.Which were passed by the Kerala Assembly," Kumar has said.
The letter to the Governor was sent a day after the opposition accused the Left government of passing the bill in the House in "Narendra Modi style" by choosing not to hold any discussion with the opposition.
Satheesan, as well as senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala and UDF MLA N Samasudheen, said what happened was wrong, something that has never happened in the past, and has set a bad precedent in the House.
Satheesan said the bills were passed "in the same manner as the Sangh Parivar government does in Parliament", and staged a walkout after Speaker A N Shamseer rejected his demand to suspend both the laws.
The Speaker had refused to suspend both the bills based on state local self-governance minister MB Rajesh's plea that there was an urgent need to pass the processes, including ward delimitation, related to the local body elections to be held in 2025.Should be completed in a time bound manner.
At the same time, Shamseer had admitted that it was "most desirable" that all bills, except financial bills, be passed after consideration by the respective subject or select committees.
The letter on behalf of the UDF was sent by Congress Parliamentary Party Secretary A P Anil Kumar, who urged Khan not to give assent to the Kerala Panchayati Raj (Second Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the Kerala Municipality (Second Amendment) Bill, 2024. .
The letter said that both the bills were passed by the Kerala Assembly in relaxation of the rules of procedure and conduct of business in the Kerala Assembly.
It also said that as per the agenda of the Assembly on June 10, both the bills were to be introduced in the House and then sent to the subject committee.
“However, on June 10, 2024, when the opposition was protesting in the well of the House demanding vigilance and anti-corruption investigation and registration of a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act on Bar bribery charges, the Speaker gave permission to the concerned minister. Gave it.To move a motion to pass a bill...
"Subsequently, the Bills were passed without the participation of the opposition members. The opposition members were not given an opportunity to present their proposals and arguments in the important legislation relating to division of wards in local self-government bodies," the letter said. "
It further said that although there have been instances where such extraordinary power has been used, they were with the consent of the opposition.
"This action of the government to hastily pass the Bill, contrary to what is specified in the agenda and without leaving the subject for the consideration of the Committee, is against the basic principles of natural justice of hearing the other side," the letter said. ,
Kumar also said that the reason given by the government to justify its action was "not good".The opposition claimed that both the bills provide for delimitation of local body wards based on 2011 census data.
It further said that while the latest data based on the upcoming census is expected in a few years, "the hasty step raises doubts as the population growth in the last 10 years is significant, on the basis of which the upcoming census was planned Is".
Kumar also said that Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly V D Satheesan has lodged a written protest with the Speaker against depriving opposition members of the right to express their views on the bills.
“Although the Speaker has agreed with the opposition's argument, the point of order raised in this regard has been resolved by the Speaker.
“Thus, in order to maintain the spirit of democracy and the values enshrined in our Constitution, I request you to assent to the Kerala Panchayat Raj (Second Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the Kerala Municipal Corporations (Second Amendment) Bill, 2024. Avoid.Which were passed by the Kerala Assembly," Kumar has said.
The letter to the Governor was sent a day after the opposition accused the Left government of passing the bill in the House in "Narendra Modi style" by choosing not to hold any discussion with the opposition.
Satheesan, as well as senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala and UDF MLA N Samasudheen, said what happened was wrong, something that has never happened in the past, and has set a bad precedent in the House.
Satheesan said the bills were passed "in the same manner as the Sangh Parivar government does in Parliament", and staged a walkout after Speaker A N Shamseer rejected his demand to suspend both the laws.
The Speaker had refused to suspend both the bills based on state local self-governance minister MB Rajesh's plea that there was an urgent need to pass the processes, including ward delimitation, related to the local body elections to be held in 2025.Should be completed in a time bound manner.
At the same time, Shamseer had admitted that it was "most desirable" that all bills, except financial bills, be passed after consideration by the respective subject or select committees.
