The Rajya Sabha passed the Family Courts (Amendment) Bill here on Thursday amid disruptions over the Enforcement Directorate’s “actions against Opposition MPs” when the House is in session. The Bill validates family courts in Himachal Pradesh and Nagaland with retrospective effect.

The amendment moved by CPI(M) MP V. Sivadasan to send the Bill to a select committee was defeated in a voice vote. The debate took place amid disruptions as Opposition members stormed into the Well of the House demanding that the Centre rein in the ED and the CBI. They shouted slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and said autocracy would not be tolerated.

Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said there were at present 715 family courts in the country with over 11 lakh pending cases, and said the Bill would help set up at least one family court in each district so that there could be speedy disposal of the cases. The Lok Sabha passed the Bill last week.

The Bill clears family courts established in Himachal Pradesh with effect from February 15, 2019 and in Nagaland with effect from September 12, 2008. The Bill also validates all actions under the Act taken by the governments of Himachal Pradesh and Nagaland and the family courts of these States.

The House witnessed adjournment for an hour till noon as Congress members said Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge was summoned by the ED when the House was in session. In the afternoon, the Opposition members raised a point of order against the summoning and arresting of MPs when the House is in session.

Leader of the House Piyush Goyal said the Centre does not interfere in the functioning of investigating agencies. “If anyone has done any wrong, the law will take its course. Whatever the LoP said is totally baseless. The matter has gone to the Supreme Court. The Congress leaders are on bail and they should follow the law instead of running away,” he said.

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