New Delhi: Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi was on Wednesday named the chairperson of the 31-member Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) constituted to deliberate on three bills, including the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, 2025, which proposes automatic removal of elected officials – Prime Minister, Chief Ministers, and Union Ministers – if they are arrested and detained for 30 consecutive days on serious criminal charges.
These bills were introduced in the Lok Sabha by Union Home Minister in August this year midst the opposition’s protest over the Special Intensive Revision exercise in Bihar, and later referred to a Joint Committee of Parliament for further scrutiny following a voice vote.
Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2025, are the other two bills.
The committee has been formed amid a boycott by major opposition parties including the Congress, Trinamool Congress (TMC), Samajwadi Party (SP), DMK and the Left parties, citing fundamental concerns about the presumption of innocence and constitutional values.
However, the committee includes members from the ruling alliance, as well as select leaders from parties outside the NDA, like Supriya Sule (NCP-SP) and Sudha Murthy (nominated). Sule had earlier clarified that her party is not breaking ranks with the Opposition by choosing to be part of it. Apart from the NCP (SP), the AIMIM, BJD, YSRCP and SAD have also joined the panel.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla too stressed the importance of non-partisan discussion in parliamentary committees and urged representation from across the political spectrum.
The JPC, which comprises 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha, will present its report in the upcoming winter session of Parliament.
