Opposition demands sending Armed Police Force bill to the JPC

In the Lok Sabha, the opposition has said that the Armed Police Force Bill has been introduced by the government in haste and needs to be thoroughly discussed, so it should be sent to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC).

Congress party's Harish Chandra Meena initiated the discussion on the "Central Armed Police Forces (General Administration) Bill 2026" in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, saying that the way the bill has been introduced shows haste. The bill has many flaws that need to be rectified and many improvements are needed. He said that this is a matter of national security, and one cannot be complacent in this regard. The bill has many flaws that need to be rectified and improved, so it needs to be sent to the JPC to remove these flaws and ensure comprehensive discussion on the bill.

He said that the biggest problem is accountability. Employees went to court against the government and the government lost, but surprisingly, the Ministry of Home Affairs officials were not informed that their own employees were fighting against the government in court. The Supreme Court issued its order in this matter last October. The government lost this war, and the results show that no one in the government is willing to take responsibility.

Mr. Harish Chandra Meena said that consensus on the bill is necessary, so he said that it should be sent to the Joint Committee. He said that the government lost the case in court, and this defeat clearly shows that the government did not present the facts strongly. He said that the government should remove the flaws in the bill and send it to the JPC immediately for this purpose.

BJP's Rao said, considering the bill important, that the government is making fundamental changes through this bill, which are necessary in the current situation. He said that internal peace and security are essential for the country's development, so that internal discipline can be strengthened. It is necessary to strengthen internal order and discipline for the development of any society or country, and this bill has been introduced in the light of this conviction.

He said that institutions need to be strengthened for internal security, and this bill clarifies the governance of internal security. He emphasized that service institutions should be organized and transparent. He said that such efforts will make institutions self-reliant and boost the morale of the armed forces.

Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Dharmendra Yadav said that the armed forces personnel who sacrifice their lives during duty should be given the status of martyrs. He said that this bill should be introduced after thorough discussion. The Joint Parliamentary Committee should be given the opportunity for extensive discussion on this. The thoughts of soldiers and officers should also be considered.

He also demanded that the old pension scheme be implemented for the personnel of the armed forces, like the army. He opposes this bill.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mahua Moitra said that armed forces officers also get appointed by passing the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam, and this bill deprives them of opportunities to get higher positions. Central armed forces officers and soldiers work in difficult conditions on the border. Now, attempts are being made to create obstacles in their promotions. While several court orders have been issued in their favor, and now this bill is going to prove to be an obstacle in their promotion.

Ms. Moitra demanded that the bill be sent to the Select Committee for thorough discussion.

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Krishna Prasad Teneti said that this bill has been introduced to streamline the functioning of the armed forces. He further said that the provisions of this bill will also accelerate the promotion of lower-level personnel in the armed forces. He said that there are 90,000 vacant posts in the armed forces that need to be filled.

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray) leader Sanjay Atmaram Deshmukh said that the government is bringing this bill in violation of the Supreme Court's order. The government must obey the court's order. This bill will demoralize the armed forces personnel. He said that thousands of posts are vacant in the armed forces that need to be filled. The bill should be sent to the Select Committee for detailed discussion.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Dheeraj Shailendra Patel said that no matter how hard the armed forces officers work or how much they work, they cannot reach the top positions in their units. Why has the government introduced a bill with such provisions? The government is ignoring the facts. This bill will demoralize the soldiers. This bill does not have any commitment to increase the facilities for the soldiers. It has been brought in haste. No consultation has been done with the stakeholders. This bill is equivalent to contempt of court and is unfair to the soldiers. It should be referred to the Joint Parliamentary Committee.

Shiv Sena leader Sambhaji Raje Maney said that by introducing this bill, the Modi government has protected the interests of the security forces. The government will make better arrangements for the soldiers. He supports this bill.

Congress leader Deepender Singh Hooda said that this bill is related to the future of CAPF personnel. It will demoralize all the soldiers. He said that this is a matter of national security. The government has introduced this bill to ruin the future of CAPF personnel. The government claims that the soldiers protect us, but it is failing to provide them justice. The Supreme Court has given a verdict in favor of CAPF, but the government has introduced this bill to overturn that verdict.

BJP's Vishnu Dyal Ram, supporting the bill, said that if we look at the past decade, a picture of mismanagement of rules and regulations and cadres within the CAPF emerges, due to which various problems have arisen. He said that administrative uncertainty has made security arrangements difficult, and now a bill has been introduced to improve this. This system will be based on constitutional principles. A law-based system reduces disputes, and governance becomes easier. This bill will strengthen national security while bringing transparency to the armed forces command structure. This bill will ensure balanced administrative decisions. It has been introduced not to reduce anyone's rights but to improve administration. Our government protects the interests of all sections of society.