New Delhi: In what could be more trouble for the Congress, President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday consulted legal experts on the ordinance to protect convicted legislators as he is not convicted on the need for it. Mukherjee had on Thursday also asked the government to clarify the urgent need to bring an ordinance that protects convicted MPs, MLAs and MLCs from disqualification.
The Bharatiya Janata Party and Aam Aadmi Party leaders have met him, asking him not to sign the ordinance. Most of the political parties are against the the ordinance, which the Cabinet passed on Tuesday.
Most of the political parties are against the the ordinance, which the Cabinet passed on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi also embarrassed his party, after he called the ordinance 'nonsense'. While interacting with the media at the Press Club in New Delhi, he said irrespective of his party's view, he is against it.
Congress leaders Milind Deora, Digvijaya Singh and Shashi Tharoor has also come out in the open against the ordinance.
The Union Cabinet had on Tuesday cleared an ordinance which allows convicted and jailed MPs and MLAs to contest elections. The ordinance is a reversal of Supreme Court judgement that had not only disqualified lawmakers convicted of offences with 2 years or more in jail but also also barred from contesting elections. The ordinance will allow convicted legislators to continue in office, if the appeal against the conviction is admitted by a higher court within 90 days. The ordinance says that if a lawmaker appeals his conviction or the sentence is stayed by a higher court, he can attend Parliament/ state Assemblies but cannot draw salaries or vote.
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