BJP leaders refused to comment without taking a look at the Bill. “Even a comma or a full stop may make all the difference at times,” they pointed out. CPM leader Sitaram Yechury also refrained from commenting on the Bill.

However, with the passage of the Bill appearing imminent, there was visible unease in different sections of MPs, with some like the Shiv Sena, SP, BSP, and RJD openly opposing it as a dangerous move to hijack parliamentary democracy and make the government and the MPs subservient to a ‘daroga’ (head constable).

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj said, “We have no problems with the timing. But we need to go through the Bill to register our amendments. Our non-negotiable position was stated in our dissent note in the Standing Committee’s report.”

Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley has indicated that BJP would oppose government control of the Central Bureau of Investigation.
The government may also push for passage of the Judicial Accountability Bill and the Whistleblowers’ Protection Bill in the Lok Sabha before the break.