New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking a relaxation of a rule that mandates a Bill be introduced two days before it is considered in the House so that the Central Armed Police Forces (General Administration) Bill can be taken up today, the last day of the Budget Session, The Wire has learnt.The Bill, introduced in the Rajya Sabha last week, was passed by the Upper House yesterday, April 1. It is listed to be taken up by the Lok Sabha today (April 2), despite criticism from the opposition of the proposed legislation being “rushed”.In a letter on Wednesday (April 1), the MHA wrote to the Speaker saying that due to lack of time it is not possible for it to introduce the Bill in the Lok Sabha two days prior, and therefore it seeks a relaxation under Rule 116 so the Bill can be taken up for consideration and passage in the Lok Sabha.“The CAPF Bill has been passed by the Rajya Sabha. Due to lack of time it will not be possible to move the bill two days prior under Rule 116 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Lok Sabha. Therefore it is urged that Rule 116 is relaxed so that the bill can be discussed in the Lok Sabha,” the letter seen by The Wire states.Rule 116 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Lok Sabha lays down the procedure of a motion for consideration. It says:“On the day on which the motion for consideration is set down in the list of business which shall, unless the Speaker otherwise directs, be not less than two days from the receipt of the notice, the member giving notice may move that the Bill be taken into consideration.”The MHA letter comes as the Budget session is due to end today, with opposition parties accusing the Union government of “rushing” the bill. In a statement Congress MP and the party’s whip in the Lok Sabha Manickam Tagore questioned the rush to bring in the bill while election rallies are planned and leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi is campaigning in Assam.“A government confident of its decisions does not fear debate. A government committed to justice does not rush legislation in the absence of dissenting voices. This Bill already raises serious constitutional concerns—overriding court judgments, denying fairness to CAPF officers, and weakening institutional balance. And now, it is being pushed through when scrutiny is deliberately minimised,” Tagore wrote on X.The Bill will be moved by union home minister Amit Shah in the Lok Sabha, a day after it was passed in the Rajya Sabha by voice vote amid a walkout by the opposition who said that their concerns on the bill were not answered, including institutionalising deputation and lacking prior consultation.The contentious Bill, introduced in the Rajya Sabha last week, provides that in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), 50% posts in the Inspector General rank, at least 67% among Additional Director General, and 100% in the rank of Special Director General and Director General be filled by Indian Police Service (IPS) officers on deputation.The bill has been criticised in the Rajya Sabha by the opposition for undoing last year’s Supreme Court order that IPS deputation should be progressively reduced.Retired service members have also called it demoralising to the CAPF by providing for IPS deputation instead of promotions to higher posts based on field expertise.