Rajya Sabha Speaker CP Radhakrishnan leaves after adjourning the house during the budget session of Parliament in New Delhi on March 25, 2026. Photo: Sansad TV/ANI Video Grab
The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday adjourned the notice of opposition against the introduction of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF-General Administration) Act and began discussions on the legislation on Wednesday at the initiative of Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai. Opposition MPs raised six notices against its introduction.
The bill aims to regulate recruitment, deputation, promotion and other service conditions for paramilitary officers.
Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien called the bill anti-federal and argued that states’ rights were being taken away. Congress MP Ajay Maken said the bill interfered with the rights of judges. He said six Supreme Court judgments said there was injustice against the paramilitary forces.
DMK MP Tiruchi Siva said the bill seeks to overturn the Supreme Court’s historic judgments that the deputation of IPS officers in the CAPF will be cancelled. He said the Centre’s stand was rejected by the Supreme Court and Parliament was being used to override the powers of the Supreme Court.
CPI(M) MP John Brittas said the bill suffered from a “fundamental deficiency” of legislative power, arguing that Parliament could not simply declare operational injunctions void without addressing their legal basis. Congress MP and lawyer Vivek Tankha said the Supreme Court order protected a cadre of 30,000 police officers. “Parliament cannot take away a constitutional right,” Mr Tankha said.
Responding to the allegations, Mr. Rai said the bill came under the legislative power and right of the Rajya Sabha. He said that the concerns raised by the opposition are baseless and the bill does not interfere with judicial rights and it is a bill on service conditions of police officers in the CAPF.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiran Rijiju said the judiciary has a mandate to interpret laws, make decisions and deliver judgments. “This nation is governed in the spirit of the Constitution and the laws passed by the Indian Parliament and Assemblies. How can the legislative power of this House be taken away…,” he said, adding that opposition MPs were willingly abdicating their responsibility. “We cannot run away from our responsibility,” he added.
The Deputy Speaker dismissed the notice, put the introduction of the bill to a vote and called upon Mr. Rai to introduce the bill.
Later, as Mr Maken opened the debate, he said paramilitary forces play an important role in protecting democracy. He said CAPFs played an important role in the fight against Naxals and made sacrifices. “Today we are blocking their promotion,” he said, adding that they deserve justice. “This is not a matter of 13,000 policemen. It is a matter of one million policemen in the CAPF,” he said, adding that suicides and voluntary retirements among officers are on the rise as the government has no incentive. “The bill should have gone to a parliamentary panel for further consideration,” he said.
According to the bill, 50% of posts in the rank of Inspector General and at least 67% posts of Additional Director General will be filled by IPS officers on deputation.
Published – 25 March 2026 22:33 IST
