Congress MP Manickam Tagore slammed the Centre for introducing the CAPF Bill in the Lok Sabha, alleging it was timed to coincide with Rahul Gandhi’s Assam rallies to deliberately avoid a parliamentary debate on the crucial legislation.
Congress MP Manickam Tagore questioned the timing of the Central Armed Police Forces (General Administration) Bill in the Lok Sabha, as Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to move the Bill on Thursday after it was passed in the Upper House.
In an X post, Manickam Tagore alleged that the Centre has planned to introduce the CAPF Bill, 2026, on the day when Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to visit Assam for his pre-planned election rally. He accused the government of rushing with the Bill to avoid a parliamentary debate.
Congress Alleges ‘Calculated Parliamentary Management’
He wrote, “The government’s desperation is now out in the open. A crucial Bill affecting the rights and dignity of our CAPF personnel is being hurried into the Lok Sabha–timed exactly when the Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, is scheduled to be in Assam for pre-planned election rallies. Rallies that were announced well in advance. Preparations already completed. Public meetings lined up. And suddenly, the Bill is listed for today.”
“Why this rush? Why avoid a full and fair debate? Why deny the Leader of the Opposition the opportunity to speak on an issue impacting our ‘jawans’? This is not a coincidence. This is calculated parliamentary management. A government confident of its decisions does not fear debate. A government committed to justice does not rush legislation in the absence of dissenting voices,” the Congress leader added.
‘Bill Overrides Supreme Court Judgment’
Further criticising the Bill, he claimed the draft legislation overrides the Supreme Court’s judgement and denies fairness to CAPF officers. “This Bill already raises serious constitutional concerns–overriding court judgments, denying fairness to CAPF officers, and weakening institutional balance. And now, it is being pushed through when scrutiny is deliberately minimised. India deserves better. Our forces deserve fairness. Parliament deserves honesty. Don’t silence debate. Don’t sidestep democracy,” the social media post read.
Details of the CAPF Bill
The Bill provides for fifty per cent of posts in the CAPFs to be filled by deputation in the rank of Inspector General, and a minimum of sixty-seven per cent of the posts to be filled by deputation in the rank of Additional Director General, and all posts in the ranks of Special Director General and Director General shall be filled by deputation only.
On Wednesday, the CAPF Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha amid a walkout staged by the Opposition. The Opposition MPs had flagged that the Bill goes against the Supreme Court judgment in 2025, which called for “the number of posts earmarked for deputation in the cadres of the CAPFs upto the level of Senior Administrative Grade (SAG) should be progressively reduced over a period of time, say within an outer limit of two years.”
Government Defends Bill, Opposition Hits Back
MoS Home Nityanand Rai told the House, “The Bill was placed before the House not as a legislative proposal but with the purpose of strengthening the security system of the country. The bill is an important step in the direction of resolving several inconsistencies in the service rules, cadre management, appointment-related issues, among others, to boost the efficiency and morale of the armed forces.”
“The bill aims to create an umbrella structure for resolving several such anomalies and streamlining its structure for better coordination and implementation,” he added, asserting that “the bill is not against the federal structure. In fact, it further strengthens the federal structure.”
However, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari accused the Centre of “looting” CAPF soldiers’ rights, while Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi alleged that the government was “creating division” in the police forces. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)