Two key members of the National Advisory Council’s drafting committee on the proposed Communal and Sectarian Violence Bill, Usha Ramanathan and Vrinda Grover have quit the advisory body following their differences over fixing the accountability of public officials in any such incident. “We have quit the drafting committee. We will come up with an alternative draft bill, put it in public domain and lobby with the government to incorporate it in the law,” said Ms Grover. Both Ms Grover and Mr
Ramanathan, who are Supreme Court lawyers, said that the draft bill finalised by the NAC drafting committee does not “reflect” their concerns on fixing the accountability of public officials, right from the chief minister down to the police constable, in the eventuality of a communal violence incident besides the relief and rehabilitation of the victims.
Terming their concerns as “non-negotiables”, the two lawyers said such provisions do not exist in the Indian Penal Code and therefore need to be included in the draft bill.
Citing reasons for their disassociation from the NAC drafting panel, the two lawyers further said the panel’s focus was getting “diluted” from the key issues and shifting to creating another monitoring superstructure in the form of a “national-level authority” to probe such crimes.
Reacting to the development, NAC sources said the draft bill was being legally vetted and would soon be placed in public domain.
“We will try to arrive at a consensus on the issue and address the concerns of the drafting committee members,” said an NAC member involved with the drafting of the Sectarian and Communal Violence Bill.
Last year, the NAC had rejected the draft Communal Violence Bill prepared by the government and had decided to redraft the legislation by naming it as the Communal and Sectarian Violence Bill.
Over the past week, some NAC members have expressed concern on the government’s move to list the draft bill for introduction in the ongoing Budget Session.