New Delhi: Some
UPA allies are expected to seek an explanation at a cabinet meeting
this evening on why the Congress-led government rushed a controversial
ordinance on convicted lawmakers only to do a u-turn.
The ordinance, which seeks to circumvent a Supreme Court order disqualifying convicted lawmakers by allowing them to stay on while a high court hears their appeal, is expected to be formally abandoned at the meeting of the cabinet, which could refer it to a parliamentary standing committee for review. (Congress to withdraw ordinance derided by Rahul Gandhi)
Sources said Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar is likely to ask at the meeting why the government has changed its stand; the cabinet had approved the ordinance only last week. The NCP, said sources, is not questioning the withdrawal of the ordinance but the Congress' flip-flop, brought on by its vice-president Rahul Gandhi trashing it as "complete nonsense."
The Congress number 2 derided the ordinance as worthy of being
"torn up and thrown away" while the PM was in the US. The opposition
said this was an insult to the Prime Minister and diminished his
position.
Allies like Mr Pawar and more recently Omar Abdullah of the National Conference have suggested that the Congress, which leads the ruling alliance, must ensure better coordination between the partners.
Another ally Ajit Singh, however, said "it's happened in the past, decisions have been changed and reversed, there is nothing wrong there." He said he was happy the ordinance would be withdrawn. "We don't want criminalisation in politics," he said.
But Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, which provides crucial external support to the Congress-led government, did not cloak his disapproval in circumspection. "The manner in which the ordinance was brought and is now being hurriedly withdrawn, shows that decisions are being taken keeping elections in mind. Because of the elections all ruling political parties are in a hurry," said Mr Yadav, who is the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.
While Mr Yadav would not spell out the SP's stand on the substance of the ordinance, a party leader Naresh Aggarwal warned that withdrawing the ordinance would be 'dangerous for democracy" and said the PM must decide whether his own position was higher than that of his party.
The Congress maintains that it has decided to withdraw the ordinance because of "collective wisdom."
"We got feedback from across the country," said Congress spokesperson Renuka Chowdhury in an attempt to justify the reversal of policy.
The ordinance, which seeks to circumvent a Supreme Court order disqualifying convicted lawmakers by allowing them to stay on while a high court hears their appeal, is expected to be formally abandoned at the meeting of the cabinet, which could refer it to a parliamentary standing committee for review. (Congress to withdraw ordinance derided by Rahul Gandhi)
Sources said Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar is likely to ask at the meeting why the government has changed its stand; the cabinet had approved the ordinance only last week. The NCP, said sources, is not questioning the withdrawal of the ordinance but the Congress' flip-flop, brought on by its vice-president Rahul Gandhi trashing it as "complete nonsense."
Allies like Mr Pawar and more recently Omar Abdullah of the National Conference have suggested that the Congress, which leads the ruling alliance, must ensure better coordination between the partners.
Another ally Ajit Singh, however, said "it's happened in the past, decisions have been changed and reversed, there is nothing wrong there." He said he was happy the ordinance would be withdrawn. "We don't want criminalisation in politics," he said.
But Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, which provides crucial external support to the Congress-led government, did not cloak his disapproval in circumspection. "The manner in which the ordinance was brought and is now being hurriedly withdrawn, shows that decisions are being taken keeping elections in mind. Because of the elections all ruling political parties are in a hurry," said Mr Yadav, who is the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.
While Mr Yadav would not spell out the SP's stand on the substance of the ordinance, a party leader Naresh Aggarwal warned that withdrawing the ordinance would be 'dangerous for democracy" and said the PM must decide whether his own position was higher than that of his party.
The Congress maintains that it has decided to withdraw the ordinance because of "collective wisdom."
"We got feedback from across the country," said Congress spokesperson Renuka Chowdhury in an attempt to justify the reversal of policy.