The amendment received the support of 165 Rajya Sabha parliamentarians, which meets the requisite two-thirds majority in the 245-member house. Seven members voted against it. Support for the bill in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday (Jan. 08) was near unanimous.

Even as it drew support from political parties of various hues, there was criticism from the opposition benches. The main opposition party, the Indian National Congress (INC), accused the Modi government of hastily pushing the bill with an eye on elections. The Congress said it was in favour of the bill being scrutinised by a select committee, a small number of parliamentarians appointed for a specific purpose.

“We don’t know what the hurry is. They (BJP) had five years and they could have introduced it earlier and it would have been taken to the select committee and it would’ve been discussed and then passed. There are three hurdles this bill will have to pass: complete non-application of mind, second is the constitutionality of the bill, and third is the implementation of the bill,” Kapil Sibal, a senior Congress leader, was quoted by the Mint daily.

A motion moved by the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), the Left parties, and some others to refer the bill to the select committee did not muster enough support.

Questions were also raised on whether enough jobs have been created in the first place. “Has there been any focus on jobs? 97,000 jobs have been lost in the public sector undertakings,” Congress leader Anand Sharma asked in the Rajya Sabha.

Replying to the accusations, law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said “sixes are hit in the slog overs” of a cricket match and “more sixes will come”.

Outside political circles, too, there was criticism. The Nobel laureate economist, Amartya Sen, called the move “muddled thinking.” He is of the view that India’s high economic growth did not translate into jobs, poverty elimination, and better healthcare and education for all.

📬 Sign up for the Daily Brief

Our free, fast, and fun briefing on the global economy, delivered every weekday morning.