Congress goes into damage control mode

After Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi caused a political turmoil with his comments on ordinance on convicted lawmakers, party president Sonia Gandhi spoke to prime minister Manmohan Singh on Friday evening over the phone. She reportedly assured him of the party’s full support. Singh is in

Washington DC for talks with the US President Barack Obama.
Sources in the government indicate that the ordinance will most likely be withdrawn. In fact, sources say a cabinet meeting will most likely be held either on 2 or 3 October after Singh returns to India, where a final call on this contentious issue will be taken.

While strongly backing Rahul Gandhi’s opinion on the issue, party leader Rashid Alvi said, ‘Rahul ji didn’t say or suggest the government should withdraw the ordinance.’ General Secretary of All India Congress Committee Digvijay Singh praised Gandhi and tweeted: ‘Rahulji punctures the balloon of the BJP’s double speak. It had agreed to the amendments in the all-party meeting which are part of the ordinance.’

Rahul had denounced the controversial ordinance on convicted lawmakers by calling it ‘nonsense’ at a press meet on Friday afternoon, in which he also attacked the government for pursuing the ordinance as a ‘political compromise’.

The ordinance overturns a Supreme Court order that elected representatives convicted and sentenced to over two years in prison will be disqualified immediately; it provides that such MPs and MLAs can continue in office, without salary or voting rights, if a higher court stays the conviction on appeal.

By publicly denouncing the ordinance, Rahul has managed to veto a decision cleared by Singh as well as his mother Sonia Gandhi
a week ago.