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Assault on India's Democracy by UPA

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Assault on India's Democracy by UPA
#21
'<b>Sonia doesn't have courage to face Parliament'</b>
Press Trust of India
Posted online: Thursday, March 23, 2006 at 1900 hours IST
New Delhi, March 23: BJP president Rajnath Singh today attributed Congress President Sonia Gandhi's resignation as MP and chairperson of the National Advisory Council to her "not having the courage to face Parliament and the Election Commission".

<b>"We never questioned the faith of the people of Rae Bareli in her. We only said it was against the dignity and decorum to hold an Office of Profit as a member of Parliament. If our allegation was wrong, she should have faced Parliament or the Election Commission</b> <!--emo&Big Grin--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
  Reply
#22
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>'Sonia's resignation does not solve problem'</b>
Press Trust of India
Posted online: Thursday, March 23, 2006 at 2109 hours IST
New Delhi, March 23: <b>The CPI on Thursday said the resignation of Sonia Gandhi from Lok Sabha does not provide solution to the current problem of MPs holding office of profit who attract disqualification under the Constitution</b>.   <!--emo&Big Grin--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->

CPI national secretary D Raja said Gandhi may have thought about her decision and may have taken it to take the wind out of Opposition sail.

<b>“But it does not provide solution to the current problem. As to what is office of profit has to be defined in law as there is no clarity about it,”</b> he said adding Parliament has to meet and pass a legislation in this regard<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

<i>No choice for others. Resign now.</i>
  Reply
#23
<b>Karan Singh resigns from Rajya Sabha</b>

<b>Communist speaker of Lok sabha Comrade Chatterji refused to resign.</b>
  Reply
#24
<b>PM, Prez discuss office of profit ordinance issue</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday met President APJ Abdul Kalam in the midst of political storm over the reported move to bring an ordinance on the issue of office of profit........<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
  Reply
#25
Taxpayers' money should not be used to provide government
security to this Italian woman and her freeloading,
half-Italian family. There are sufficient grounds to revoke her
citizenship and deport her back to her homeland known for its
crime families.
  Reply
#26
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Clowning glory at 10 Janpath </b>
Rajesh Kumar / New Delhi

In Congress president Sonia Gandhi's renunciation, the party leaders have smelt the opportunity for personal redemption. Not surprising then that <b>among the first prominent leader to arrive at Akbar Road office was Outer Delhi MP Sajjan Kumar</b>.

Under fire for his alleged involvement in the Sikh pogrom, <b>Mr Kumar was quick to clamber onto a Scorpio jeep and shout, "Bahri Dilli se aayi awaaz, Sonia Gandhi Zindabad. Delhi Congress ki pukar, Sonia Gandhi Zindabad."</b>

The scenes outside 10 Janpath on Thursday were similar to those the Congress workers have enacted with certain religiosity whenever their leader has taken the path of 'renunciation'. The first such instance was the week-long relays of hunger strikes and dharnas, when Mr Sharad Pawar had challenged her authority. Two years back, when she had decided not to don the mantle of prime ministership, similar histrionics were on display, with neo-convert Congress MP Ganga Charan Rajput starring in a lead role. He even fired in the air.

Given the instant fame television cameras have provided groveling loyalists outside 10 Janpath, a Sonia-sacrifice has become a sure sign of traffic jam on Akbar Road. On Thursday evening too, Congressmen in starched khadi drove down in their snazzy cars to be one with the first family of the party in their latest hour of crisis.

On Thursday, however angry Congressmen and breast-beating women, found it difficult to articulate their angst. <b>It all started with their favourite whipping boys - AB Vajpayee and LK Advani. The Youth Congress and the students' wing NSUI workers were quick to denounce the 'communal forces' and burn pictures of the two BJP leaders. When somebody pointed out the duo could not really be blamed for the present crisis, they were quick to retort, "The two in connivance with Amar Singh were always plotting against our leader, who has made one sacrifice after another."</b>

<b>"Sonia ko lana hai, desh Bachana hai, Soniaji Sangharsh karo hum tumhare saath hai," rent air.</b> One difference this time was that the leaders, who kept trooping in and out of the Congress headquarters, instead of addressing the workers, found it more opportune to give bytes to the camera brigade. <b>"The point is more effectively made on the camera as the byte keeps getting repeated and has countrywide effect," confided AICC secretary and Delhi MLA Jai Kishen</b>, as he promptly directed his supporters on phone to land up at 10 Janpath.<b> "But don't forget to bring the banners of the local Congress unit."</b>

Another Delhi MP and former NRI Minister Jagdish Tytler explained Ms Gandhi's decision in his own inimitable style. "<b>Ms Gandhi has taken a decision with her own conscience and nobody can dictate her. She has unequalled wisdom and knows what is best for the party and the country,"</b> articulated Mr Tytler in ardent adulation for the party president.

Given Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's absence, as she is away in Melbourne, her MP son Sandeep Dikshit was quick to arrive on the scene. He, too, did his part of bidding for his leader, lest her mother's detractors raise a finger. <b>The dissidents of Delhi Congress, too, were present in full strength though their leader Rambabu Sharma was away in Mumbai.</b>

Delhi Khadi Board chief Mukesh Sharma and <b>Nasir Pur MLA Mahabal Mishra were quick to order Bhel Puri for the workers. "Khai jao, Sonia Zindabad ke nare lagae jao." Crates of mineral water followed to quench the thirst of sloganeering workers.</b>
  <!--emo&Big Grin--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
However, in the midst of all this, every leader had a query - will all this lead to general election. Will the party manage to stage a comeback? Nobody was confident enough to reply.

<b>After about four hours of slogan-shouting, Ms Gandhi finally decided to come out and give a darshan to her admirers. She came out and stood on the footboard of a Tata Safari, waved her hands at the workers, smiled and left before the awe of her presence could register. "She looked in good form and we are sure she would turn the tide in her favour," </b>quipped her admirers as they left to return faithfully the next day.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> <!--emo&:cool--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/specool.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='specool.gif' /><!--endemo-->
  Reply
#27
Chest beaters are back <!--emo&Big Grin--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
  Reply
#28
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Victim of her own conspiracy: BJP </b>
Pioneer News Service / New Delhi
The BJP on Thursday said Congress president Sonia Gandhi's resignation as MP and chairperson of the National Advisory Council amounted to the<b> "confession of a culprit caught red-handed trying to subvert the Constitution and Parliament".</b>

The party also made it clear that it would strongly oppose any ordinance redefining office of profit to save members of Parliament from disqualification and even if a bill was brought after the Parliament was reconvened, it was against giving retrospective effect to such legislation.

The party's future course of action would be decided at a meeting of the party's central office-bearers here on Friday.

But general secretary Arun Jaitley indicated that the party is not inclined to seek the resignation of Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee and other MPs, who have been accused of holding offices of profit that could disqualify them from Parliament's membership.

<b>"Every individual has his own case, which they should present before the Election Commission and the President. It is for the Commission to decide,"</b> he said.

<b>Ridiculing Congress efforts to project it as "an example of renunciation", Mr Jaitley said Ms Gandhi had been left with no choice after the vigorous protests lodged by the BJP-led Opposition with the President.</b>

"The course of action adopted by the Government was so outrageous that our immediate response was also very firm and this firm response has led to this sequence of events," said Leader of Opposition LK Advani in Varanasi. He was on a visit to the Sankat Mochan temple along with party chief Rajnath Singh and the two returned to Delhi on Thursday night to discuss the day's development's with senior party leaders.

In Delhi, as Congress whipped up a campaign to project Ms Gandhi as a martyr, the BJP was confident that her grandstanding would cut no ice with the people. <b>"Sonia Gandhi has fallen victim to her own conspiracy and the Cong-ress politics of revenge had recoiled back, " Mr Jaitley said.</b>

Asked if BJP's own leaders like VK Malhotra, who have also been accused of holding offices of profit would step down as well, Mr Jaitley said, "The party stand is that the law should be applied uniformly against everyone." He said that the UPA Govt had handled the whole issue in "a pathetic and ham-handed manner."
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
  Reply
#29
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Price of misadventure: Leader's head </b>
Sanjay K Jha / New Delhi
If the first "sacrifice" took her to a high moral pedestal, the second saved her from falling into a low pit. The first "sacrifice" celebrated the attainment of "pride of place," the second salvaged the lost pride.

<b>It is difficult to find examples in contemporary politics when the supreme leader is used as a "shock absorber" by a party after cheap intrigues and foolish misadventures. The buffer Congress president Sonia Gandhi enjoyed in the beginning has gone and the heat reaches her every time a fire gets ignited. The blundering managers then persuade her to fire the "sacrifice bramhastra". </b>

In the recent crisis over the office-of-profit issue too, it was again Ms Gandhi's head that was put on the chopping block. As an impression gained ground that the Congress was blatantly misusing power to protect its leader from the storm that felled Jaya Bachchan, and its Government had again acted in wanton violation of parliamentary norms and political propriety, the party took the last resort. She resigned as a member of the Lok Sabha and as the National Advisory Council (NAC) chairperson.
...........................
Ms Gandhi said she was quitting to uphold the ideals of politics and public life. "This is my personal decision and I think I am taking the right step. I hope the people of Rae Bareli and the rest of the country will understand my feelings," she added. Responding to questions, <b>she said, "I shall contest again and from Rae Bareli only."</b> The announcement instantly triggered pro-Sonia demonstrations outside 10 Janpath.

<b>While many senior leaders agreed in private conversations that certain ministers had goofed up, they felt even the legal advisors had bungled by not warning the Government against doing "the right thing in a wrong way." A senior party MP told the Pioneer, "in proving their blind loyalty, some leaders give wrong advise. Every party would have supported the measure to handle the office of profit problem and for this the Congress should not have invited so much trouble. Even after the news broke, the Government failed to categorically say they won't bring an ordinance."</b>

The day after, the negative media coverage and the Opposition's belligerence left few options before Ms Gandhi as she was singled out for attack. Senior Congress leaders lamented on Thursday the Opposition singularly targeted her but failed to explain why the subject was handled in a manner that was bound to attract this criticism. Congress general secretaries recalled how the BJP chanted slogans like - Baki sab bahana hai, Sonia ko bachana hai - but sounded defensive when quizzed if there was any need for aggressively taking the ordinance route.

<b>Conveniently forgetting that Ms Gandhi had to quit the Lok Sabha precisely because of poor political management by her loyalists, these leaders talked of her sacrifice and moral stances. </b>
.................

The Congress leaders are now talking about a permanent solution to the problems triggered by the office-of-profit row and the overwhelming feeling is in favour of taking the political and parliamentary route instead of thrusting an ordinance.<b> An AICC general secretary said, "it is true nobody took it seriously when the Jaya Bachchan case came up. Had the Government responded positively at that time by taking all the parties in confidence, we won't have reached this situation. Mistakes have naturally been committed at some levels."</b>

But mistakes have become the order of the day and the party doesn't appear to have learnt from its experience in Jharkhand govt-formation, Bihar Assembly dissolution, Volcker and Quattrocchi row. Instead of deft political management, the party is still relying solely on the leader's charisma. Almost every leader is recalling how she renounced the post of Prime Minister and how moral her responses in the past have been.

Nobody is discussing mistakes. Nobody is bothered why such mistakes occur. <b>"Idol worship" is the answer to all uncomfortable questions</b>. A former AICC general secretary and newly-elected Rajya Sabha member summed up the mood by saying: <b>"The BJP is saying... Baki sab bahana hai, Sonia ko bachana hai. Our answer is... Sonia agar nishana hai, jeene marne ko thana hai." Nice rhyme but that's not what makes good politics.</b>
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
  Reply
#30
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Sonia presses ESC to avoid DEL </b>
Navin Upadhyay / New Delhi
Hoist with own petard, she took martyrdom yatra----- Soon after her announcement, Congressmen were beating their chests to project party president Sonia Gandhi's resignation from the Lok Sabha and the National Advisory Council on Thursday as her second "martyrdom", but it was obvious that she had few options to extricate herself from a politically untenable situation.

Had Ms Gandhi chosen to reign soon after the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) submitted a memorandum to President APJ Abdul Kalam seeking her disqualification from the Lok Sabha for holding an office of profit as chairperson of the National Advisory Council (NAC), she might have succeeded in taking the high moral ground. But the developments of the past 48 hours clearly show that Ms Gandhi had no choice but to walk the "martyrdom" path following the media leak of a well-planned conspiracy to smuggle in an ordinance to save her skin.

But while Ms Gandhi decided to quit, her party did not apply the same principle for others MPs who are in the dock for holding offices of profit. Since a majority of the 44 odd MPs, under a similar cloud belong to the Congress and the Left, the Government was planning to sneak in a legislation to save them from disqualification.

<b>The premature disclosure of the 'Save-Sonia' plot and the subsequent uproar in media and Parliament over the Government's unprecedented decision to prorogue the Budget session to bring in the ordinance brought Ms Gandhi to the center of a major controversy. The message had gone that any such ordinance would be seen as a "gross violation of democratic traditions" and harks back to the dark era of Emergency when Indira Gandhi had played similar tricks to save her membership of the Lok Sabha</b>.

The UPA Government justified the sine die adjournment of Parliament citing lack of legislative business, but the million dollar question is why the Opposition leaders were kept in the dark if the move was not part of a well-planned conspiracy to bring in the ordinance. Few will believe that Ms Gandhi, or for that matter Prime Minister Manmohan were not aware of the design. It is obvious that if the plot was not exposed in time, the Government would have got away with proroguing the House and bringing in the ordinance.

The Government did not wait to bring in a Bill to remove the grey area around the office-of-profit issue, because after the TDP petition to the President, Congress managers sensed that it was only a matter of time before the EC served Ms Gandhi a notice seeking to know why she should not be disqualified from Lok Sabha for heading the NAC. Since such a situation would have been a serious blow to her image, the ordinance route was plotted and the House prorogued to protect the halo around Ms Gandhi.

<b>Caught in the trap of her own making, Ms Gandhi suddenly heard the call of conscience</b>. But in the process of resigning, she sought to make a clear distinction between herself and other lesser Congress MPs facing similar charges of holding offices of profit. While the leader decided to resign to again become a symbol of renunciation, a legislation could save her party MPs from disqualification.

Unfortunately for her, the Opposition was in no mood to allow her to convert a misfortune into an opportunity. Telugu Desam Party immediately reacted saying the Congress president's decision to resign "amounted to an admission she is holding an office of profit."

<b>"She might have felt compelled under the circumstances after our complaints to the President.</b>

<b>Instead of waiting for the Election Commission's decision, she might have felt that it is better to step down," TDP parliamentary leader K Yerran Naidu told the Pioneer.</b>

Describing Ms Gandhi's decision as a "victory of democracy," he said it would have been more "graceful" had she resigned earlier before the "unethical decision" to adjourn the Parliament sine die.

<b>"Why was the House adjourned sine die yesterday? What was the motive? It was an insult to democracy as they took the decision without consulting any political party,"</b> he said.

Asked if the TDP would demand the resignation of other MPs holding offices of profit, Naidu said it is left to their decision. "If they resign voluntarily, we welcome it."

<b>TDP had petitioned President APJ Abdul Kalam on March 14 seeking disqualification of Ms Gandhi, Minister T Subbirami Reddy, MPs Karan Singh and Kapila Vatsayan.</b>

<b>Meanwhile, Janata Dal (U) asked all Congress MPs to emulate the example set by their leader Sonia Gandhi.</b>

"We welcome Ms Gandhi's resignation. But if the Congress was sincere, and its MPs wanted to prove that they are ardent followers of Ms Gandhi, they should resign and seek re-election to the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha," JD (U) spokesman Sambhunath Srivastava said. He also demanded Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee's resignation for holding an office of profit as chairperson of the Sriniketan-Shantiniketan Development Authority.
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#31
If other 44 also resign this will change number in parliament and UPA will become minority government. Only option left for Congress is to call for mid-term election.

I think Congress will try to cash in so-called "martyrdom" of Sonia.
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#32
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>To quit or not to quit</b>
* Congress president Sonia Gandhi's renunciation of posts of profit has set a difficult benchmark for some women politicians who have often been flaunting the fact that they are above suspicion. The whole controversy about Members of Parliament holding offices of profit could plunge two very senior and respected lawmakers into an embarrassing situation. <b>The eminent Gandhian, Ms Nirmala Deshpande, who is member of the Rajya Sabha, holds the office of the vice-chairperson of the Rajghat Samadhi Samiti and many other similar Gandhian bodies.</b> All these organisations are quasi-government organisation with some being headed by the Prime Minister. Similarly another eminent women member of the Rajya Sabha Dr Kapila Vatsayayan could find it difficult to save her seat. Recently nominated to the Upper House by the <b>President, Dr Vatsayayan, a leading Nehruvian scholar, heads the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, another quasi-government organisation</b>. Now will the two wait for a law to save them or go the 'Gandhian' way of renunciation? Only time would answer
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#33
<!--QuoteBegin-Mudy+Mar 23 2006, 11:11 AM-->QUOTE(Mudy @ Mar 23 2006, 11:11 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->If other 44 also resign this will change number in parliament and UPA will become minority government. Only option left for Congress is to call for mid-term election.

I think Congress will try to cash in so-called "martyrdom" of Sonia.
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Who are the 44 ? Has anybody seen it ? Can congi really call for midterm poll just like that ? Will the lefties agree to this ? Wouldnt this be bad for lefties themselves ?

Meanwhile Sheela Bhatt says

http://ia.rediff.com/news/2006/mar/23sonia...?q=tp&file=.htm
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#34
Here is list - please add others

CPM MP
1) Somnath Chatterjee - chairman, West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation,chairman of the Srineketan-Satiniketan Development Authority
2) Hannan Mollah is the chief of the state Waqf Board
3) Lakshman Sett is the chairman of the Haldia Development Authority
4) Amitava Nandi holds the post of vice-chairman of the state Fisheries Development Corporation.
5) Swadesh Chakraborty, holding the post of the HRBC Chairman

Congress
6)Union Minister of State for Mines T Subbarami Reddy, who is Chairperson of Tirupati Tirumala Devasthanam
7)Karan Singh, who is heading the Indian Council of Cultural Relations.

8) Sonia Gandhi Chairperson of National Advisory Council, Rajiv Gandhi Foundation aided by Government, Indira Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Trusts

rajya Sabha

9)Kapila Vatsayan - heads the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, another quasi-government organisation
10) Nirmala Deshpande - office of the vice-chairperson of the Rajghat Samadhi Samiti

11) Jaya Bachan
12) Amar Singh

BJP
13) VK Malhotra (also former President of All India Council of Sports).
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#35
<b>Enjoy comments </b> <!--emo&Tongue--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tongue.gif' /><!--endemo-->
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#36
<!--emo&<_<--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/dry.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='dry.gif' /><!--endemo--> Though I have added my comment at the site but it will be some time before it appears:
In 1 go, Sonia has absolved herself of Volcker report, washed her hands from (quo)Attachi and above all, <span style='font-size:21pt;line-height:100%'><span style='color:red'>made the center stage for Rahul in politics who has been lacklusture so far.</span></span>
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#37
Her SIN list is very long

1) Goa
2) Jharkhand
3) Bihar
4) Appointing murder and rapist as ministers
5) Misusing govt resources for her own advantage.
6) Indian citizen Tax money paid holidays for her extended family from Italy.
7) Volcker report - money from Saddam
8) (quo)Attachi
9) Wire tapping
10) Sharing Dias with radical muslim Madani in Ramlila Ground Delhi
11) Arresting Seer on Diwali eve.
12) Ecouraging radical islamist
13) Asking Hindus not to display rakhi or any religious symbol in any Government office, but Sikhs can have hair or Kara, muslims can have beard or skull cap
14) Religion based reservation.
15) Allowded fraud Hinn to collect money in India.

Please add more.
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#38
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->The other posts held by Sonia

• Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust chairperson
• Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund chairperson
• Indian Council for Child Welfare chairperson
• Kamla Nehru Memorial Hospital Society president
• Nehru Trust for Cambridge University patron
• Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Society member
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#39
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Why not resign on 22nd? Why shut Parliament?</b>  [/url]

The story is simple. Sacking Jaya Bachchan has cost Sonia her Lok Sabha membership and also position as Chairperson of National Advisory Council (NAC). By resigning Sonia has avoided for her what happened to Jaya Bachchan, but not before attempting to overturn the law to prevent it.

The story started with an obscure Congressman from UP complaining to President APJ Abdul Kalam against Jaya Bachchan, once a close family friend of Sonia. His grouse was that Jaya’s position as Chairperson of UP Film Development Board, a state government body, was an office of profit under the electoral laws.

Under the law, a member of either House of Parliament, holding an office of profit under any government, will be disqualified. So, the plea was that Jaya Bachchan should be removed from Rajya Sabha. The President sent the complaint to the Election Commission which upheld the complaint and recommended to the President for Jaya’s removal from RS. The President forthwith removed her from the House.

There is a personal and political background to the anti-Jaya move. Jaya Bachchan was a target of Sonia Gandhi’s wrath ever since she charged Sonia family with betraying her family. Understandably Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya had attracted Sonia’s special attention. Also in 1998, Amar Singh and Mulayam Singh exposed Sonia’s famous lie about 272 MPs supporting her and thus spiked her plans to become the Prime Minister. So they were quite ‘special’ to her for that reason too.

When the petitioner succeeded against Jaya, Sonia must have gloated over. But, before even the smile on her face wore off the missile fired at Jaya turned against Sonia herself. How?

After Jaya was removed from RS, some 40-odd Opposition MPs moved the President seeking to remove Sonia and three others from Parliament for the very reason Jaya lost her RS membership – that is, they were also holding offices of profit. They told the President that as Sonia is the chairman of the NAC, she is also guilty of breach of electoral laws.

Structurally the NAC is constituted as the super power in the hierarchy along with the Prime Minister’s Office. The budgetary provision for the NAC is included in the budget for the PMO, via the Cabinet Secretariat, to assert the status of NAC as on a par with the PMO and Sonia on a par with, if not higher than, Manmohan Singh. Chidambaram’s budget for 2006-07 provides Rs 4 crore for the NAC in the budget for the PMO.

The budgetary ranking of NAC on a par with the PMO only confirms the political reality as a fact of governance too. It was on this ground that the 40-odd MPs had petitioned the President for similar action on Sonia as against Jaya.

Now starts the panic, and the desperate attempts to save Sonia, breaking and bending the Constitution. The attempt was clearly to maim the Constitution to save Sonia. The Constitutional convention is that after the budget is passed the two Houses are adjourned to meet on a predetermined date, that is, on May 10 as per this year’s schedule. But, on March 22, surprisingly the government asked not for just adjournment of the House as per the convention, but for adjournment ‘sine die’.

Adjournment ‘sine die’ is indefinite adjournment, not saying when the House will reassemble. This strategy was evolved for a hidden purpose. Under the Constitution only when a House is adjourned indefinitely, the Prime Minister can ask the President to ‘prorogue’ the Houses – to prorogue means to keep the houses suspended.

Only if the Houses remain suspended, not merely adjourned, the government can issue ordinances. After declaring the date of reassembling of the House as May 10, when the government asked for indefinite adjournment, the Opposition realised the mischief. The government was deliberately shutting down the Parliament to bring an ordinance to declare by law that Sonia’s position as chairperson of NAC is not an office of profit. The Constitution authorises the government to issue an ordinance when the Parliament is shut; but not to shut the Parliament to issue the ordinance.

But Dr Singh shut down the Parliament so that government could issue ordinance so save Sonia from the fate that her UPA Government inflicted on Jaya Bachchan.

<b>She resigns, not before all this. That is, she resigns after the strategy of the government to bail her out by an unconstitutional law got exposed. Why resign after the exposure? Why not a day earlier – on March 22 – so that the Parliament would not have been shut? Why the last minute resignation? The fear that the President might have sent the complaint against Sonia to the Election Commission before the government sent the ordinance to him? Or the fear that the President might not sign the ordinance forthwith and sit on it till the pending cases like Jaya’s, including Sonia’s, are decided? The last minute resignation conceals the obvious</b>  <!--emo&Big Grin--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
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#40
<!--QuoteBegin-Mudy+Mar 23 2006, 05:30 PM-->QUOTE(Mudy @ Mar 23 2006, 05:30 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Please add more.
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more here.. <!--emo&Smile--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->
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