The opposition also did not participate in the discussion on the floor of the House….reports Asian Lite News
The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Bill, 2021, amid sloganeering by the opposition on the Pegasus issue.
The opposition also did not participate in the discussion on the floor of the House.
Speaking in favour of the Bill, Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani said, “This is a very important Bill as it relates to children.”
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She also appealed to the opposition to be a part of the discussion, to which NCP’s Fauzia Khan replied that the House should discuss the Pegasus snoopgate issue as it concerned national security.
The Bill which seeks to amend the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 was passed by Lok Sabha in March 2021. The Act stated that adoption of a child is final on the issuance of an adoption order by the civil court. The Bill provides that instead of the court, the district magistrate, including additional district magistrate, will issue such adoption orders.
Under the 2015 Act, offences committed by juveniles are categorised as heinous offences, serious offences, and petty offences. Serious offences include offences with three to seven years of imprisonment. The Bill adds that serious offences will also include offences for which maximum punishment is imprisonment of more than seven years, and minimum punishment is not prescribed or is less than seven years.
During the passing of the Bill, the opposition continued to hold placards and raise slogans. The House was adjourned soon after the Bill was passed.
Earlier, the House was adjourned twice over the Pegasus issue — first till 12 noon then till 2 p.m.
Ahead of the commencement of the House proceedings on Wednesday, 14 opposition parties had met to devise a common strategy to corner the government on issues like the Pegasus snooping row and Assam-Mizoram border disputes.