IT WAS passed on a hasty voice vote, with only 31 of the Rajya Sabha's 244 members present. All were from the ruling party and ten, oddly enough, were cabinet ministers-an exceedingly rare sight on a quiet Friday afternoon, reserved by tradition for private members' bills. The few opposition mps at hand had walked out in protest. Their ire was warranted: the government had promised that this particular bill, which the Upper House had already blocked both on the floor and in committee, would not be tabled.
展开▼
