'Rubber stamp for Modi's unconstitutional agenda': Cong slams joint panel of Parliament on Bills to remove PM, CMs

New Delhi, Nov 12 (PTI) The Congress on Wednesday slammed the Joint Committee of Parliament formed to examine Bills to remove the prime minister, chief ministers and Union/state cabinet ministers, alleging that it is a "JPC of the BJP and its B-Team" and a "rubber stamp for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's unconstitutional agenda".

The attack of the Congress, which is boycotting the committee along with several other opposition parties, came after BJP leader Aparajita Sarangi was on Wednesday appointed chairperson of the Joint Committee of Parliament to examine Bills to remove the prime minister, chief ministers and Union/state cabinet ministers, if they are arrested or detained for 30 days straight on serious charges.

Congress whip in the Lok Sabha, Manickam Tagore, said 340-plus MPs of the INDIA bloc are boycotting the "so-called JPC on the Constitution (130th Amendment Bill), J&K Reorganisation Bill, and UTs Amendment Bill".

"This is not a Joint Parliamentary Committee -- it's a JPC of BJP and its B-Team," he said in a post on X.

"Out of 31 members -- 21 are BJP and NDA allies (AGP, AIADMK, TDP, Pawan Party, UPPL); 10 are B-Team parties (BJD, TDP, YSRCP, SAD, NCP, AIMIM, etc.). Again Jagan proves he is with BJP/RSS," Tagore said, adding that the two nominated members were handpicked by the government.

"This JPC is nothing but a rubber stamp for Modi's unconstitutional agenda," Tagore said.

The Joint Parliamentary Committee is a mockery when the joint Opposition representing the majority of Indians is absent, he said.

Tagore also said that 340 MPs have boycotted because the government formed the JPC without consensus or parliamentary ethics.

"Even after being voted out, the VoteChori Modi Sarkar continues to misuse institutions, bulldoze Parliament, and now rewrite the Constitution itself. History will remember this as the day BJP tried to formally erase democracy," the Congress leader alleged. PTI ASK ARI ARI