After the Trinamul Congress (TMC) and the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday announced that it would not participate in the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) formed to examine three Bills seeking the removal of the Prime Minister and chief ministers. The Opposition alleges that the Bills are aimed at “bringing down” non-BJP governments.
TMC leader in the Rajya Sabha Derek O’Brien dismissed the JPC as “valueless,” writing on X: “More parties calling out Modi coalition’s stunt to form a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC). Valueless JPC.”
AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said his party had decided not to nominate any members to the JPC. “How can the leader of the corrupt bring a Bill against corruption? Trapping leaders in fake cases and putting them in jail, bringing down governments, this is the objective of this Bill,” he posted in Hindi on X.
On Saturday, the TMC had also declared that it would not nominate members to the JPC tasked with examining the Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, describing the panel as a “farce.” SP sources indicated that their party, too, would stay away from the committee.
In a blogpost, O’Brien argued that the JPCs are skewed in favour of the ruling party due to its numerical advantage in both Houses of Parliament.
The Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, 2025, the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirtieth Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2025 were introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 20 amid uproar from the Opposition. Copies of the Bills were torn and tempers flared as members from both sides clashed.
The Bills provide a legal framework for the removal of the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers, and ministers if they are under arrest for 30 consecutive days on serious charges.
Both Houses of Parliament have passed resolutions referring the Bills to the JPC, comprising 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha. The committee has been asked to submit its report in the Winter Session, likely to be convened in the third week of November.
