Consensus on 'office of profit'

     New Delhi: Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunshi today submitted a report on the issue of office of profit to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in which he is reported to have stated that there exists a consensus among the political parties regarding bringing a Bill to redefine 'Office of Profit' in a very comprehensive manner. Dasmunshi who has been holding hectic consultations with different political parties for the past few days on the advice of the Prime Minister has reportedly stated that the necessary changes could be brought either by bringing an amendment or through a clarification in the present Act.

     Coming out of the meeting, Dasmunshi said that the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs (CCPA) would be meeting on March 30, where the date for reconvening the Parliament will be decided. "The priority agenda of the session would be a comprehensive legislation on amending the law relating to office of profit", Dasmunsi said. The Parliament that was adjourned on March 22 that had led to protest by Opposition parties alleging that the Government was planning to promulgate an ordinance to save Congress President Sonia Gandhi from disqualification as she has been holding the office of profit in the form of National Advisory Council chairperson. BJP which had vehemently opposed adjournment, however, softened its stand and indicated that the party will give nod to the office of profit Bill. With the office of profit snowballing into a big political as well as constitutional crisis, all the parties seem to have arrived to a consensus that there is an urgent need to have legislation for redefining the office of profit.

BJP gives its nod to office of profit Bill

      Chennai: Bharatiya Janata Party today said that the party was not against enacting a law that would define 'office of profit' and feels that there is a need for defining it. However, the party was against promulgating an ordinance. "The BJP is opposed to promulgation of an ordinance to leave some 'offices of profit' from attracting disqualification of membership from Parliament. However, there is a need for defining an office of profit. We are not against a law being enacted by Parliament for this purpose", said senior BJP leader M.Venkiah Naidu, who is currently in Chennai to take stock of the party's preparedness for the forthcoming assembly polls. Till now BJP had been non-committal to any kind of support to any Office of Profit Bill for which the Government has already initiated a hectic consultation process with broad spectrum of political parties.

     Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court today issued notice to the BJP MP from South Delhi V K Malhotra on a petition seeking his disqualification from the Lok Sabha as he has been alleged to be holding an "office of profit" in his capacity as president of the All India Council of Sports.

     The BJP is also facing a tough situation in Jharkhand as in the house of 81 members 14 members of the legislative assembly belonging to BJP face disqualification and three cases have been referred to the Election Commission. If disqualified the wafer thin majority of the ruling coalition in the state would crumble. However, Naidu minced no words in his criticism of Congress President Sonia Gandhi's resignation from the Lok Sabha membership and said: "It is not a sacrifice as claimed by the Congress... It was a compelling necessity, otherwise Sonia Gandhi would have been disqualified," and added, "the Election Commission had clearly stated in the case against Jaya Bachchan that any post, even in an advisory capacity, was an office of profit and Sonia Gandhi would have been disqualified if she had not quit her Lok Sabha membership". Naidu's remark regarding Sonia's resignation is in complete contrast to what its ideological mentor RSS thinks. The RSS in its mouthpiece 'Panchajanya' has praised Sonia for showing political maturity. It has also negated BJP's contemplation of equating the present situation with pre-emergency days by writing: "By not choosing to bring an ordinance to save her position, Sonia has avoided a repeat of that situation (Emergency days)".

Back to Headlines                  Go To Top