The true face of the corrupt Congress Government

Congress defends ordinance on convicted lawmakers

New Delhi, Sep 25 (IANS) The Congress Wednesday defended an ordinance negating a Supreme Court order on disqualification of lawmakers saying it "was brought to protect the constitution".

"The Congress doesn't want to protect any convicted law maker. If he is finally convicted he will be disqualified as per law," Congress spokesperson Raj Babbar told reporters.

"The ordinance has been brought to protect the constitution," he said.

He said that the ordinance merely prevents immediate disqualification of a lawmaker in case of a conviction by a lower court but at the same time takes way his right to vote along with the perks and privileges, including salary.

The Congress also refuted allegations that the ordinance was approved by the union cabinet in a hurry in order to protect party MP Rashid Masood and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad, against whom court verdicts in different cases were expected next month.

"There was no hurry. The government had brought in a bill in the monsoon session of parliament but the opposition did not debate and pass it. It is the right of a government to protect the constitution and bring in an ordinance," said Babbar.

He said the ordinance would go before parliament in the winter session where it would be debated.

Ordinance on convicted lawmakers undesirable

New Delhi, Sep 25 (IANS) Political activists Wednesday termed as "undesirable" the ordinance that would allow convicted members of parliament and state legislatures to retain their seats, and urged President Pranab Mukherjee not to sign it.

The cabinet passed the ordinance Tuesday to negate a Supreme Court order which disqualified MPs and MLAs if convicted in a criminal case. Jagdeep Chhokar of the Association for Democratic Reforms told IANS: "I feel this (the ordinance) is wrong and undesirable." The president should not sign the ordinance, he said.

Right to Information Activist (RTI) Subhash Agrawal said: "Union cabinet has left no stone unturned to prove that India has a unique type of democracy where it is a system for the politicians, by the politicians and of the politicians."

"President Pranab Mukherjee should rise to the occasion by declining to sign the anti-public ordinance. Or else, the Supreme Court can quiz the government for such useless ordinance which unnecessarily burdens public exchequers by having convicted leaders as show pieces," he said.

Justice Rajinder Sachar, former chief justice of the Delhi High Court, said: "It (the ordinance) is a violation of the democratic system." "It is quite obvious that they (the government) wanted to help somebody," he added.

The government opted for the ordinance route after a bill for the same could not be passed by parliament in its monsoon session.

The ordinance would save the elected leaders from disqualification but would take away their perks.

Aiming to change the law, the government brought the Representation of the People (Second Amendment) Bill, 2013, in the Rajya Sabha during the monsoon session, but it could not be passed.

The ordinance, once approved by the president, will have to be passed by parliament during the winter session likely November-December.

Kejriwal asks President Mukherjee not to sign ordinance on convicted MPs, MLAs

New Delhi, Sep 25 (ANI): : Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal today requested President Pranab Mukherjee not to sign the ordinance approved by the government meant to protect convicted MPs and MLAs from facing immediate disqualification.

"If he gives us time, we will tell him that the people of the country are angry and they do not want you to sign it because the people of the country want an honest government and honest people to sit in the assemblies and parliament," said Kejriwal.

"We can do nothing then, but move the court to challenge its constitutional validity," he added, when asked what if President Mukherjee signs this ordinance.

The ordinance will allow convicted legislators to continue in office, if the appeal against the conviction is admitted by a higher court within 90 days.

In a landmark verdict delivered on July 10, the apex court ruled that MPs or MLAs shall stand disqualified from holding the membership of the house from the date of conviction.

"The only question is about the vires of section 8 (4) of the Representation of the People Act (RPA) and we hold that it is ultra vires and that the disqualification takes place from the date of conviction," said an apex court bench of Justices A.K. Patnaik and S.J. Mukhopadhaya. The apex court, however, said that its decision will not apply to MPs, MLAs or other lawmakers who have been convicted and have filed their appeals in the higher courts before the pronouncement of this verdict.

According to the provision of Representation of the People Act, a lawmaker cannot be disqualified in the event of his conviction in a criminal case if he or she files an appeal in the higher court.

The above statement by the Congress spokesman, Raj Babbar, shows the true face of the Congress party.

They are just interested in prolonging their corrupt rule.

All intellectuals are asking the President not to sign the ordinance but the Congress maintains "it is protecting the constitution". Do the corrupt MPs and MLAs make up our Constitution?

As I have been saying the Aam Aadmi Party is the only party wanting all their MPs and MLAs to be corruption free.

They have adapted a very transparent mode of selecting all their candidates which can be viewed on their website http://www.aamaadmiparty.org/.

The AAP is the only party worth voting for in the coming elections if we want a corruption free government.