Amid Rajya Sabha din, govt sneaks in anti-hijacking Bill

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 17

Even as a determined Opposition stalled the Rajya Sabha proceedings for the third consecutive day today, the government did manage to sneak in the Anti-Hijacking (Amendment) Bill 2014 — a legislation seeking stringent punishment, including death penalty, for hijackers and giving a right to security forces to shoot down an aircraft that may be used as a missile.

Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju introduced the legislation and withdrew an earlier Bill on the same subject amid din over a demand for reply by PM Narendra Modi to a debate on rising incidents of communal violence.

The demand for a division of votes by the Opposition, a large majority of which shouted a “no” while the Bill was being introduced, was turned down by Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien. He told those protesting in the Well of the House that it would not be possible unless they all returned to their seats. Soon thereafter, Kurien adjourned the House for the day.

The BJP-led NDA is in a minority in the Rajya Sabha. In a way therefore, the government did manage to score a minor victory by transacting the legislative business, despite the best efforts of the Opposition.

It was a crucial day for the Modi government in Parliament today as Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was to present the Insurance Amendment Bill for consideration and passage in the Rajya Sabha. The Bill aims to hike foreign direct investment from 26% to 49% and along with the GST Bill forms a part of the economic reforms being proposed by the government. The PM is expected to be in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the new hijack legislation incorporates latest global treaties like the Beijing Protocol 2010 of the UN body International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which have been signed and ratified by India. The protocol, which provides for stringent measures to deal with civilian aircraft being used as a weapon of mass destruction by terrorists, was brought about after incidents like the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814 in 1999 and the September 11, 2001 terror strikes in the US.