Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arun Jaitley on Wednesday said the Anti-Communal Violence Bill could not introduced in the Rajya Sabha because the competence to enact such a law is vested only with the state legislature.
"The Prevention of Communal Violence Bill could not be introduced in the Rajya Sabha. My objection is based on the fact that the legislative competence to enact such a law under the Constitution vests only in the state legislature, law and order, public order are all powers of the State and not Centre," he said.
"And therefore, such a law could be enacted only by the state legislature. Most opposition parties had supported the viewpoint that I had taken and that is why the Bill has not been allowed to be introduced in the House," he added.
Earlier in the day, the Anti-Communal Violence Bill was deferred after an uproar in the Rajya Sabha.
The Anti-Communal Violence Bill is aimed to prevent and control targeted violence, including violence against religious or linguistic minorities, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.