Former CJI appears before JPC, calls for caution in holding ONOE

AT the third meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the 'One Nation One Election (ONOE)' Bill, former Chief Justice of India U U Lalit made several suggestions, including rolling out simultaneous polls in a phased manner, said sources.

- PREETHA NAIR @ New Delhi

During his deposition before the panel, Lalit said the concept of simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections was good in theory but many factors should be addressed for its smooth implementation. While Lalit served as the 49th CJI for a brief tenure in 2022, he was part of the Constitution bench that banned triple Talaq in 2017. In 2019, he recused himself from the Babri Masjid-Ayodhya dispute verdict.

Former Law Commission of India chairperson Ritu Raj Awasthi also shared his views as the panel began consulting experts and stakeholders. However, several Opposition members criticised the Bill, with Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra claiming "ONOE" will weaken democracy by tinkering with tenure of legislatures and impinge on people's rights, according to sources.