03-23-2006, 12:37 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Govt on mat over 'Save Sonia' ordinance</b>
Pioneer.com
Yogesh Vajpeyi / New Delhi
* Parliament adjourned sine die * NDA smells plot, meets President----- The UPA Government on Wednesday abruptly adjourned both Houses of Parliament, sparking furious protests from the Opposition, which alleged that this was done to rush through an ordinance to avoid the disqualification of several MPs including Congress chief Sonia Gandhi for holding 'offices of profit'.
Infuriated by the "brazen assault on the established principle and practice of the parliamentary system", Members of Parliament from BJP-led Opposition immediately marched from Parliament House to Rashtrapati Bhawan, seeking President APJ Abdul Kalam's intervention in the issue.
"This has been done solely and exclusively for the purpose of promulgating an ordinance to save Ms Sonia Gandhi, president of the Congress party and chairperson of the National Advisory Council, from certain disqualification on grounds of holding an 'office of profit'," a memorandum submitted by them said.
"We have come to urge you, as the Custodian of the Constitution, not to sign the ordinance and thus give presidential sanction to this sacrilege," <b>the NDA delegation, which was led by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee told the President.</b>
The NDA leaders pointed out that the Congress had gloated when Samajwadi Party's Jaya Bachchan was disqualified from the membership of Rajya Sabha for holding an office of profit but now that Sonia Gandhi's membership was under threat on the same ground, the Congress party was gripped with panic.
<b>"You will certainly agree with us that there cannot be double-standards in application of the law - one standard for Ms Jaya Bachchan and another for Ms Sonia Gandhi," </b>they told the President.
NDA Convenor George Fernandes dubbed the move as an act of desperation. <b>"Since an ordinance cannot be introduced unless Parliament is prorogued, the Government has decided to adjourn it sine die," </b>he said.
<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Constitutional experts feel that the way both the Houses were abruptly adjourned had put a question mark on the Government's bonafides. Under the circumstances, the President can refuse to sign it, or return it to the Government and ask it to bring a Bill in Parliament in the next session.</span>
Earlier, <b>a media report rocked both the Houses about the Government's plan to prorogue Parliament and bring an ordinance to save Ms Gandhi and other MPs in the UPA camp, including Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee from disqualification.</b>
<b>Mr Chatterjee chose to stay away from the proceedings in view of complaints that he was among those holding the office of profit.</b>
Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha saw repeated adjournments as the Opposition BJP and the Samajwadi Party, an outside supporter of the Congress-led coalition, targeted Congress president Sonia Gandhi alleging that the ordinance move was aimed at "saving" her membership.
The sine die adjournment brought immediate resentment in the Opposition camp with <span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Leader of Opposition LK Advani describing the development as "singularly unfortunate event in the history of Indian Parliament".</span>
Amid cries of "shame, shame", Deputy Speaker Charanjit Atwal adjourned the Lok Sabha sine die saying Government has requested the Speaker that since there was no business for the rest of the session, it should be adjourned sine die.
Significantly, there was no attempt on the part of the Government to clarify the situation. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi, however, gave a hint to media persons outside the House about the Government's intention, when he said:<b> "It is for the government to see if there are any shortcomings in the existing laws on office of profit."</b>
Amid Parliamentary uproar, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met with senior ministers HR Bhardwaj (Law), Shivraj Patil (Home) and PR Dasmunsi (Parliamentary Affairs) and is understood to have discussed the issue of an Ordinance.
The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs is meeting on Thursday ahead of a meeting of the full Cabinet amidst speculation that the Ordinance may come up soon.
Originally, the Budget Session of Parliament was scheduled in two parts with the first part slated to end today and the second part set for opening on May 9 in view of the coming Assembly elections.
When the House adjourns in between fixed sittings, it is adjourned with the specific date fixed for resumption. But this time with the BJP and other parties including SP making common cause against the Government, both the Houses were adjourned sine die.
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Pioneer.com
Yogesh Vajpeyi / New Delhi
* Parliament adjourned sine die * NDA smells plot, meets President----- The UPA Government on Wednesday abruptly adjourned both Houses of Parliament, sparking furious protests from the Opposition, which alleged that this was done to rush through an ordinance to avoid the disqualification of several MPs including Congress chief Sonia Gandhi for holding 'offices of profit'.
Infuriated by the "brazen assault on the established principle and practice of the parliamentary system", Members of Parliament from BJP-led Opposition immediately marched from Parliament House to Rashtrapati Bhawan, seeking President APJ Abdul Kalam's intervention in the issue.
"This has been done solely and exclusively for the purpose of promulgating an ordinance to save Ms Sonia Gandhi, president of the Congress party and chairperson of the National Advisory Council, from certain disqualification on grounds of holding an 'office of profit'," a memorandum submitted by them said.
"We have come to urge you, as the Custodian of the Constitution, not to sign the ordinance and thus give presidential sanction to this sacrilege," <b>the NDA delegation, which was led by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee told the President.</b>
The NDA leaders pointed out that the Congress had gloated when Samajwadi Party's Jaya Bachchan was disqualified from the membership of Rajya Sabha for holding an office of profit but now that Sonia Gandhi's membership was under threat on the same ground, the Congress party was gripped with panic.
<b>"You will certainly agree with us that there cannot be double-standards in application of the law - one standard for Ms Jaya Bachchan and another for Ms Sonia Gandhi," </b>they told the President.
NDA Convenor George Fernandes dubbed the move as an act of desperation. <b>"Since an ordinance cannot be introduced unless Parliament is prorogued, the Government has decided to adjourn it sine die," </b>he said.
<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Constitutional experts feel that the way both the Houses were abruptly adjourned had put a question mark on the Government's bonafides. Under the circumstances, the President can refuse to sign it, or return it to the Government and ask it to bring a Bill in Parliament in the next session.</span>
Earlier, <b>a media report rocked both the Houses about the Government's plan to prorogue Parliament and bring an ordinance to save Ms Gandhi and other MPs in the UPA camp, including Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee from disqualification.</b>
<b>Mr Chatterjee chose to stay away from the proceedings in view of complaints that he was among those holding the office of profit.</b>
Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha saw repeated adjournments as the Opposition BJP and the Samajwadi Party, an outside supporter of the Congress-led coalition, targeted Congress president Sonia Gandhi alleging that the ordinance move was aimed at "saving" her membership.
The sine die adjournment brought immediate resentment in the Opposition camp with <span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Leader of Opposition LK Advani describing the development as "singularly unfortunate event in the history of Indian Parliament".</span>
Amid cries of "shame, shame", Deputy Speaker Charanjit Atwal adjourned the Lok Sabha sine die saying Government has requested the Speaker that since there was no business for the rest of the session, it should be adjourned sine die.
Significantly, there was no attempt on the part of the Government to clarify the situation. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi, however, gave a hint to media persons outside the House about the Government's intention, when he said:<b> "It is for the government to see if there are any shortcomings in the existing laws on office of profit."</b>
Amid Parliamentary uproar, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met with senior ministers HR Bhardwaj (Law), Shivraj Patil (Home) and PR Dasmunsi (Parliamentary Affairs) and is understood to have discussed the issue of an Ordinance.
The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs is meeting on Thursday ahead of a meeting of the full Cabinet amidst speculation that the Ordinance may come up soon.
Originally, the Budget Session of Parliament was scheduled in two parts with the first part slated to end today and the second part set for opening on May 9 in view of the coming Assembly elections.
When the House adjourns in between fixed sittings, it is adjourned with the specific date fixed for resumption. But this time with the BJP and other parties including SP making common cause against the Government, both the Houses were adjourned sine die.
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