Congress MP Manish Tewari Says 'Data Protection Bill' Classified As Financial Bill, Govt Refutes Claim

Tewari had earlier in the day suggested that the Data Protection Bill be treated as a regular bill, with a new Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) convened

Hours after Congress leader Manish Tewari said on Thursday that the government might try to have the 'Digital Data Protection Bill' classified as a money bill, Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw refuted the charge, calling it a "normal bill."  When the bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) Vaishnaw dismissed the notion that it was a money bill, referring to it as a "normal bill," news agency PTI reported.

Tewari had earlier in the day proposed that the 'Data Protection Bill' be treated as a regular bill, with the formation of a new Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC).

The bill seeks to hold entities such as internet companies, mobile apps, and business houses more accountable and responsible for the collection, storage, and processing of citizens' data as part of the Right to Privacy.

Tewari, in a tweet said: "How Did the Digital Data Protection Bill get classified as a Financial Bill suddenly". 

"It needs to be considered as a regular bill and go to a JPC again," he said.

"If this bill on passage is certified as a money bill by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla which seems to be the intent of getting it classed as a Financial Bill then Rajya Sabha can not vote on it. It can only recommend non binding changes to Lok Sabha," the Congress MP from Punjab said.

He also shared a copy of the presidential order classifying the bill as a money bill, and said, "The latest iteration of this Bill mocks the efforts put in by the Joint Committee of Parliament on the Data Protection Bill led by two BJP members P P Chaudhary and Meenakshi Lekhi respectively".

The President's assent had been sought as funds will be earmarked under the proposed law from the Consolidated Fund of India, news agency PTI reported citing government sources. The penalties that will come under the law and the expenditure on the staff required under the law will be under the Consolidated Fund of India, the report said. 

After the Supreme Court ruled that the right to privacy is a fundamental right, work on the data protection bill began.

The government withdrew the personal data protection bill, which was first introduced in late 2019, in August of last year, and issued a new version of the draught bill in November 2022.

The draft bill drew criticism for granting the government the authority to exempt entities from various provisions of the bill.