M A I N   N E W S

Ordinance on office of profit on Friday
LS, RS adjourned sine die
Tribune News Service and PTI

New Delhi, March 22
The government will promulgate an ordinance on Friday to identify some posts as office of non-profit, a move the Opposition alleged was a ploy to “bail out” the Congress chief Sonia Gandhi from a “certain disqualification” as an MP, sources said here late tonight.

This was understood to have been decided at a meeting at the official residence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh which ended at the stroke of midnight tonight.

Earlier, Parliament was adjourned today sine die amidst indications that the government was paving the way for promulgation of an ordinance to identify some posts as not office of profit, a move the Opposition alleged was a ploy to “save” Sonia Gandhi from “a certain disqualification” as an MP.

Significantly, on a day when Parliament was rocked on the issue, it was disclosed that President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has sent to the Election Commission the petitions seeking disqualification of Ms Gandhi as a Lok Sabha member and some other MPs on the ground they held offices of profit.

The President was last week petitioned by Telugu Desam Party against Ms Gandhi’s continuance in the Lok Sabha on the ground that she held an office of profit as Chairperson of the National Advisory Council on the CMP to the UPA government and various trusts.

The issue created uproar in both Houses of Parliament with the Opposition attacking the government on reports that it was bringing an ordinance to exempt the posts held by Ms Gandhi, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee and some Congress leaders from the office of profit to stave off disqualification.

The Speaker did not attend the House today and later told reporters that as a matter of propriety he kept away because some members had raised the issue of his holding an office of profit — an apparent reference to his being Chairman of the Sriniketan-Shantiniketan Development Authority.

Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Bannerjee had raised the issue of the Speaker and several other CPM MPs and MLAs holding offices of profit.

Amidst Parliamentary uproar, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met with senior ministers, Mr H.R. Bhardwaj (Law), Mr Shivraj V. Patil (Home) and Mr P.R. Dasmunsi (Parliamentary Affairs) and is understood to have discussed the issue of an ordinance.

Leader of the Opposition L.K. Advani warned the government against getting Parliament prorogued to enable issue of an ordinance.

Later an Opposition delegation led by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee petitioned Dr Kalam that he should not give his consent to any ordinance aimed at “protecting” Ms Gandhi and others from “a certain disqualification”.

Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha were thrown into turmoil repeatedly.