The Lok Sabha on Tuesday approved a motion to extend the deadline for the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the ‘One Nation, One Election’ Bill, allowing the panel to submit its report by the first day of the last week of the 2025 Winter Session.
The motion, moved by P.P. Chaudhary, Chairman of the ‘One Nation, One Election’ panel, sought more time to finalise recommendations on the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024. Chaudhary’s remarks in the House came amid loud protests from the Opposition benches.
Both Bills were introduced in the Lok Sabha in December 2024 and later referred to the JPC for further examination. The extension is aimed at enabling the committee to complete its comprehensive review before presenting the findings.
In a separate development, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla announced the formation of a three-member inquiry committee to investigate allegations against Justice Yashwant Varma. The controversy stems from the discovery of burnt cash on March 14 in an outhouse at the official residence allotted to him during his tenure at the Delhi High Court.
The probe panel will include Justice Aravind Kumar of the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Manindra Mohan of the Madras High Court, and senior advocate B.V. Acharya. Birla said the committee would submit its report “as early as possible” and clarified that the proposal for Justice Varma’s removal would remain pending until the inquiry’s findings are received.
The inquiry follows an impeachment notice submitted on July 21 by 145 MPs from both ruling and Opposition parties, seeking the removal of Justice Varma, who is currently serving in the Allahabad High Court.
