New Delhi, September 26
With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) knocking at the door of President Pranab Mukherjee urging him not to give his assent to the ordinance providing protection of membership to convicted lawmakers, the President has sought a briefing by the government on the issue.

Sources in the government said Union Ministers Sushilkumar Shinde and Kapil Sibal would be calling on the President to apprise him of the reasons the Union Cabinet recommended the promulgation of the ordinance on Tuesday. Sources said the President was unsure of the compelling reasons for the move.

Having opposed the passage of the Bill during the recent monsoon session of Parliament, the BJP was unhappy that the government chose to take the ordinance route which is believed to have paved the way to bail out MP Rasheed Masood, who has been convicted but not sentenced yet; and RJD chief Lalu Prasad, against whom a court is set to pronounce verdict this month in the fodder scam.

The BJP delegation met Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhawan to voice its opposition to the ordinance providing protection to convicted lawmakers promulgated by the Centre.

After the meeting, senior BJP leader LK Advani said the government should realise that the ordinance was against the Constitution and an attempt to dilute the decision of the Supreme Court which declared it ultra vires.

On July 10, the apex court ruled that an MP or an MLA would stand disqualified immediately if convicted by a court for crimes with punishment of two years or more.

The government moved a Bill in Parliament but it faced opposition and has now been referred to a Standing Committee for scrutiny.

After the meeting with the President, Advani said, “We requested President Pranab Mukherjee not to sign the ordinance”. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj said that her party had always opposed the ordinance terming it as “illegal, immoral and unconstitutional”.

Interestingly, it is not just the BJP that is opposing the move. Some Congress leaders too are voicing concern. Union Minister of State Milind Deora tweeted: “Legalities aside, allowing convicted MPs/MLAs to retain seats in the midst of an appeal can endanger already eroding public faith in democracy.”

Another leader Anil Shastri felt the move would damage the poll prospects of the Congress in the upcoming Assembly elections.