AAP party meets President over ordinance on tainted law-makers
26 Sept 2013 5:30 AM IST
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday said that it has sought appointment with President Pranab Mukherjee over the ordinance on convicted lawmakers being pushed through by the Centre. The party said that it has requested the President to not sign on the ordinance till he gives time to the party on the issue.
The union cabinet had on Tuesday approved an ordinance to protect convicted MPs and MLAs from facing immediate disqualification, which in effect negates a Supreme Court order. The ordinance to undo the court’s verdict was brought after the government failed to get a Bill to this effect passed in Parliament during its monsoon session.
The apex court had on 10 July ruled that an MP, an MLA or an MLC will be immediately disqualified if convicted by a court for crimes with punishment of two years or more. The government had moved the apex court for a review earlier this month, which was rejected.
The AAP said that if the ordinance is signed by the President even after the party’s meeting with him, the AAP would approach the Supreme Court to challenge the ordinance. The party questioned the speed at which the ordinance was brought. They alleged that the ordinance has been brought to help Congress leader Rasheed Masood, who has been convicted in a corruption case and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad, whose fate will be decided by a special court, trying the fodder scam case on 30 September.
The union cabinet had on Tuesday approved an ordinance to protect convicted MPs and MLAs from facing immediate disqualification, which in effect negates a Supreme Court order. The ordinance to undo the court’s verdict was brought after the government failed to get a Bill to this effect passed in Parliament during its monsoon session.
The apex court had on 10 July ruled that an MP, an MLA or an MLC will be immediately disqualified if convicted by a court for crimes with punishment of two years or more. The government had moved the apex court for a review earlier this month, which was rejected.
The AAP said that if the ordinance is signed by the President even after the party’s meeting with him, the AAP would approach the Supreme Court to challenge the ordinance. The party questioned the speed at which the ordinance was brought. They alleged that the ordinance has been brought to help Congress leader Rasheed Masood, who has been convicted in a corruption case and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad, whose fate will be decided by a special court, trying the fodder scam case on 30 September.
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