Predictably, the Opposition has been critical of the manner in which the government has gone about withdrawing the draft ordinance protecting convicted lawmakers from disqualification besides the original Bill introduced in the Rajya Sabha, which has since been referred to a parliamentary standing committee for further scrutiny.
The government had introduced the Bill after consensus among political parties at a meeting convened here before the commencement of the monsoon session of Parliament.
The consensus was based on the ground that the issue of disqualification was entirely the jurisdiction of Parliament and the Supreme Court had overstepped its role in pronouncing the judgment.
Minutes after the Cabinet meeting, the Deputy Leader of the BJP in the Rajya Sabha Ravi Shankar Prasad asserted that the reversal of the draft ordinance spoke volumes about the powers of the Prime Minister and the collective responsibility of the Cabinet when pitted against the young Gandhi scion.
“The government has no wisdom or sense of morality. When the ordinance was brought in great speed, there was no consideration of morality. Our leaders represented to the President Pranab Mukherjee asking him not give assent to the ordinance. We are grateful that the President sought clarifications from the government,” he said.
The BJP leader said that the U-turn by the government was a telling commentary on sheer power of dynasty.
