संधि‑विभाजन को लेकर विपक्ष की चिंता में 'एक राष्ट्र, एक चुनाव' समिति ने सुप्रीम कोर्ट यात्रा को स्थगित किया

IndiaJPC on 'One Nation, One Election' shelves SC visit amid Oppn concerns over separation of powers

The proposed visit had drawn objections from the Opposition, with at least one member of the joint committee writing to Chaudhary seeking its cancellation, it is learnt.

A Joint Parliamentary Committee examining the 'One Nation, One Election' bills has shelved its proposed October 6 visit to the Supreme Court to interact with judges on the legislation, committee chairman PP Chaudhary said on Thursday, amid Opposition concerns over separation of powers.

Chaudhary told PTI that the visit had been put off as the dates of committee members did not match.

"I also have other commitments to attend to," he said.

The proposed visit had drawn objections from the Opposition, with at least one member of the joint committee writing to Chaudhary seeking its cancellation, it is learnt.

The MP is learnt to have argued that an interaction with the Chief Justice of India or other sitting judges on the constitutional validity or merits of the proposed legislation could raise concerns over the separation of powers and the institutional independence of Parliament and the judiciary.

The member is also learnt to have pointed out that the legislature's role in considering and making laws should remain distinct from the judiciary's role in adjudicating their validity, and that seeking the views of sitting judges on legislation which could subsequently come before the Supreme Court for judicial scrutiny could create an avoidable institutional overlap.

Earlier in the day, Independent Rajya Sabha member Kapil Sibal publicly raised similar objections to the proposed visit, calling it "unconstitutional" and contrary to the concept of separation of powers.

Sibal, a senior advocate, said he had never come across a parliamentary panel holding an interaction with Supreme Court judges over proposed legislation that could later come before the court for adjudication.

He claimed a programme circulated by the Chaudhary-led committee listed a "local study visit" to the Supreme Court on October 6, including an informal discussion with the CJI and other judges on simultaneous polls.

Sibal argued that while it was Parliament's prerogative to enact laws, it was for the judiciary to subsequently examine their constitutional validity if challenged.

The Joint Committee is examining the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024 and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which seek to provide a framework for holding simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.

The two bills were introduced in Lok Sabha in December 2024 and subsequently referred to the joint committee for examination.

(With inputs from PTI)

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The New Indian Express

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