War over ordinance erupts
New Delhi: The BJP and the Left parties clashed with the Congress on Wednesday a day after the Union Cabinet cleared an ordinance to protect convicted MPs and MLAs from facing immediate disqualification, with the BJP saying the ordinance was Congress’ attempt to make "cheats, frauds, rapists and murderers" lawmakers.In response, Information and Broadcasting minister Manish Tewari took on BJP leader Sushma Swaraj, who had requested the President not to sign the ordinance, saying the constitutionality of “legal enactments” could be decided by courts and not by the opposition party.The Left parties, while opposing the ordinance, said the UPA government was "repeatedly using the ordinance route, which is undemocratic."“The BJP is shocked at this ordinance. We would like to know whose great idea it is: Is it Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s or Rahul Gandhi’s or is it UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s,” party general secretary Rajiv Pratap Rudy demanded. “Who was eager to promulgate an ordinance to make frauds, cheats, rapists and murderers our MPs and MLAs?”The ordinance seeks to negate an order of the Supreme Court on the issue, and BJP had opposed the move in Parliament.Rudy hailed the July 10 Supreme Court verdict, saying the apex court had in a "historic judgement" ordered that those convicted by a trial court for crimes or corruption and sentenced to two years or more in prison would immediately cease to be MPs or MLAs. Rudy's remarks came a day after Swaraj termed the ordinance unconstitutional and requested the President not to give his assent to it.Tiwari responded to Swaraj’s tweet saying, “the constitutionality or otherwise of legal enactments are tested in constitutional courts and not in the BJP's moat.” “Unsolicited advice is neither appreciated nor taken seriously. These are the first principles of the legal profession. Advice of Leader of Opposition amusing, surprising," he said.
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