MLA Pankaj Pushkar’s intention behind proposed amendment was questionable, says Jagdeep Singh

Jagdeep Singh

AAP chief whip Jagdeep Singh tells Mayura Janwalkar why he issued two whips on a day the assembly was slated to pass three bills on education
Why did you feel the need to issue a whip requiring all MLAs of the ruling party to vote against the amendment proposed by MLA Pankaj Pushkar. The amendment sought that the Bills be examined by the select committee of the assembly but was withdrawn later.
The government felt that the Bills were fine. It is not as if the Bills were decided by a single person. The government has been through various consultations and carried out studies before drafting the Bills. He (Pushkar) could have spoken at that time. But he suddenly comes up with an amendment to derail the Bills. The amendments could be made in the future, if necessary. They don’t have to come within four days of introducing the Bills. His intention behind all this was questionable. That is why I had to issue a whip.

Did you issue a whip when other Bills were being introduced?
Yes, a whip was issued on the day that the CrPC amendment Bill, the Right to Services Bill and the three education-related Bills were introduced as well. I have also issued a whip for Wednesday when the Minimum Wages Bill and the Working Journalist Bills will be discussed in the assembly. The chief whip has the authority to issue a whip at any time.

What kind of whip was issued in connection with Pushkar’s amendment?
The purpose of issuing a whip is mainly to ensure the presence and participation of MLAs of the ruling party. There are three types of whips — the first one requires the presence of the MLAs, the second one requires the members to be present in the House and vote, and the third and the most important one is the whip that requires the members to be present and vote for a Bill, not against it. This is called a three-line whip. The whip I issued on Tuesday was a three-line whip. If a member of the House fails to abide by the whip, he may even lose his membership of the House.