'Consensus on office of profit soon'
New
Delhi: Taking forward the effort to reach a consensus
on the office of profit issue, Parliamentary Affairs Minister
Priyaranjan Dasmunshi today met leaders from different political
parties. Talking to reporters after the meetings, Dasmunshi
said that he had telephonic conversations with the leaders
of Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), Shiv Sena, Biju Janata Dal,
AIDMK, adding that he met Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad
Yadav and Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh in person. "My
initial exercise is almost to be over today, then I'll have
to submit the complete report to the Prime Minister tomorrow.
And then the PM will take the final decision," Dasmunshi
said. While replying to a query on the need for calling
an all-party meeting on the issue, the Minister said "except
L K Advani, by and large, leaders feel that a meeting should
be held to arrive at a consensus".
With Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi out of the controversy
after her resigning from the Lok Sabha, it is likely that
a Bill redefining the office of profit will very soon be
finalised as almost all political parties have been affected
by the issue either in Parliament or the State Assemblies.
Dasmunshi had yesterday met with Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh and the Leader of the Opposition, LK Advani, in his
effort top arrive at some consensus. Dasmunshi had also
met Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Sitaram Yechury
and Communist Party of India's D Raja to get their opinion
regarding the legislation. Both the Left leaders is reported
to have told DasMunshi that Left had already demanded to
bring a legislation when the first instance of office of
profit cropped up in the form of Jaya's disqualification.
Noting that neither the Supreme Court nor the Constitution
of India have clearly laid the guidelines that amount to
a post being termed as office of profit, both Yetchury and
Raja have reported to ask him to convene an all-party meet
to resolve the issue. Senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh has
said that his party is willing to call a session in which
a law can be put in place, adding that when this session
should be called is a decision the Centre has to take. The
Office of profit issue, which started with Jaya Bachchan's
disqualification from the Rajya Sabha, became a major controversy
when complaints were made against Sonia Gandhi and other
important leaders. In the States, the fate of Uttaranchal
and Jharkhand Governments depended on a solution being found
to the controversy.
'BJP consistently disrupted Parliament'
Kolkata: Defence
Minister Pranab Mukherjee today came down heavily on the
BJP and said that the party was responsible for not allowing
Parliament to work as it disrupted its proceedings consistently
for the past two years over trivial issues. "From day one
in the last two years there has not been a single occasion
when BJP has not disrupted the House by creating pandemonium
on the floor of the House," Mukherjee said this after releasing
a campaign audio cassette here on Sunday. Mukherjee also
said that now BJP have to explain their conduct to the people
as five states goes for the Assembly polls next month. Speaking
on a broad range of issues including that of the Trinamul
Congress' proposal of "Mahajot' (Grand Alliance) against
the ruling CPI (M) government in the state, Mukherjee said
that some parties wanted the Congress to ally with the BJP
indirectly in the name of a grand alliance but it was never
possible. On the controversy surrounding the UPA Governments
reported attempt to bring an ordinance on office of profit
issue Mukherjee clarified: "We had no intention of bringing
an ordinance nor we are going to bring an ordinance right
now ", and added that the Government will consult the parties
and discuss on bringing a Bill. Mukherjee who eloquently
praised the Congress president Sonia Gandhi for the "sacrifice
that she made through resignation" criticised BJP for running
a single point agenda to personalize all issues against
her. "She never wanted to be the reason behind nation's
division when she declined to become the Prime Minister
and naturally she thought again this time that it is not
very important for me to continue to be the member of the
Lok Sabha, so she immediately resigned," Mukhejee added.
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