New Delhi, Aug 1 (Mayank Nigam) External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar on Monday said that the Weapons of Mass Destruction Bill passed by the Parliament makes India and the entire world more secure and “enables us to live up to our international commitments.” “Welcome the unanimous support for the passing of the Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Amendment Bill, 2022. This law will address the financing of illegal activities pertaining to the WMD domain. It makes India and the entire world more secure and enables us to live up to our international commitments,” the Minister wrote on Twitter. Rajya Sabha on Monday cleared the ‘The Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Amendment Bill, 2022’ aimed at preventing the financing of prohibited activities relating to nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.
The Bill was passed in Lok Sabha during the Budget Session, In Rajya Sabha, the Bill was cleared with a voice vote amid noisy protests by Opposition MPs on various issues including the alleged misuse of central agencies. The WMD Bill bans funding of weapons of mass destruction and empowers the government to freeze, seize or attach financial assets and resources of people engaged in such activities. External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar introduced the Bill last Tuesday. “In the recent past, international regulations relating to weapons of mass destruction have been strengthened, in particular the UN Security Council decisions and the Financial Action Task Force recommendations have mandated provisions against financing in relation to WMDs,” he said. “There are no specific provisions in the 2005 Act in relation to prohibition or prevention of financing of prohibited weapons of mass destruction activities.
Therefore, there is a need to amend the 2005 Act to enact legal provisions relating to financing and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems,” Jaishankar added. Opposition MPs raised slogans against the government over various issues including alleged missuse of central agencies during the passage of the Bill. From the beginning of the ongoing Monsoon Session, Opposition has been raising the demands to discuss price rise, hike in GST rate, alleged misuse of central agencies and other issues but Chairman Venkaiah Naidu has not admitted the notices by Opposition MPs under their chosen Rule 267.