Juvenile Justice Bill fate to be fixed today

New Delhi

Following the Supreme Court’s dismissal of a plea against the release of the juvenile offender, the focus has shifted to the proposed amendments in the Juvenile Justice Act and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that “the government is ready and very keen to pass this Juvenile Bill”.

Government said the amendments to Juvenile Justice Act that will allow children between 16-18 years to be tried as adults in heinous crime cases will come up before Rajya Sabha today, as protests against release of the juvenile convict continued at Jantar Mantar. The Juvenile Justice Amendment Act has already been passed in the Lok Sabha.

“We are ready to bring supplementary agenda for this today (Monday) itself,” he said outside Parliament. Targeting Congress, he added that “the Bill has been thrice listed in the past for consideration and passage in Rajya Sabha; however, the House has not been able to run”.

Derek O’Brien (TMC) said he has given a notice under rule 267 seeking suspension of business in the Rajya Sabha and taking up the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2014.

He said the various parties should rise above politics and allow the passage of the Bill. “The nation wants this Bill passed,” he said. But stating that “the Nirbhaya accused will not be affected even if it (the Bill) is passed, Congress leader Pramod Tiwary charged that the “government is guilty for the release of the accused and of not being able to pass the Bill”.

Union Minister Uma Bharati said she will appeal to Congress president Sonia Gandhi to allow passage of the Bill in the interest of the girls in the country. “I would also tell Nirbhaya’s parents that the court decision was within the criminal law of the country.

We have to change the law and we are ready to do so. This is an issue of concern for the country that because he was not 18 years old, he went free,” she said. SP leader Ramgopal Yadav blamed “politics” for the delay in the passage of the Bill.