Rajasthan has said it would protect government staff against probe into on-duty actions
A Rajasthan government ordinance which claimed it would protect government staff against probe into on-duty actions and
"gagged" the media, triggering national uproar, has lapsed on Monday.
Senior Cabinet Minister Gulab Chand Kataria confirmed that legally, the ordinance has lapsed. Now its fate will be decided on December 27 when a committee meets to discuss it.
Drafted by the state government on September 6, the Criminal Law (Rajasthan Amendment) Ordinance 2017 was introduced in the Rajasthan assembly on October 23.
An ordinance is valid for 42 days after it gets tabled in the assembly, after which it lapses automatically. Going by this, the gag ordinance lapsed on December 4.
"Now, the ball is in the select committee's court. If the committee stops it, it will be dropped, and if the committee considers it to be ok, it will be reintroduced," said Mr Kataria, who heads the committee.
This committee is expected to submit its report in the first week of the next assembly session.
The announcement for the committee was made on November 27 and its next meeting is scheduled for December 27.
The state government, via this ordinance, made it a must for judicial magistrates to seek government approval before taking cognisance of complaints against former and sitting judges and public officials.
Even media was not spared under this ordinance and there were provisions of jail term of up to two years for journalists publishing or broadcasting such complaints which have not been approved by the government.
The state government has claimed that the ordinance aimed at curbing the misuse of law.