UPA’s effort to push Rahul’s anti-graft ordinances meets dead end

mangaloretoday.com/ NDTV

New Delhi, March 02: The UPA government’s effort to push through Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi’s anti-corruption Bills via ordinance route met a dead end. The Union Cabinet did not take up the anti-corruption ordinances after President Pranab Mukherjee expressed his reluctance to sign all the anti-graft ordiances.

The Cabinet has cleared reservation for Jats under the OBC category and an ordinance to amend the Prevention of Atrocities against SC/ST Act.

The Disabilities Bill was also not taken up by the Cabinet.

 

Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, Defence Minister AK Antony, Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel had met President to decide on pushing anti-graft Bills. The Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary Pulok Chatterjee also attended the meet.

On Saturday, the President has expressed his reservations to Law Minister Kapil Sibal over the government’s plan to push through anti-graft ordinances. The CPI-M has also written to the President objecting to the ordinance route.

In the run to the Lok Sabha elections, the Bills assume huge significance in order to change Congress’s image and to portray Rahul as an anti-corruption crusader.

Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh said, "Taking the ordinance route for passing anti-graft Bills is very important and it must be done."

Rahul had called for the ordinance route to get these legislations into effect. The UPA had tried hard to pass the Bills on the last day of the extended winter session of Parliament but the House was adjourned sine die.

Rahul had said, "I have always said that action speaks louder than words but the Opposition does not want to support us in passing the anti-corruption Bills. They have betrayed the people of India. We are considering the ordinance route."

The Bills include the Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill, the Whistle Blowers Protection Bill, the Public Procurement Bill and the Time Bound Delivery of Goods and Services and Grievance Redressal Bill.