The Opposition National Democratic Alliance on Monday decided to oppose a government Bill that proposes to exempt 46 posts, including the National Advisory Council chairmanship from the purview of office of profit, on the ground that it was against the spirit of the Constitution.
Coverage: Office of Profit Issue
"We have unanimously decided to oppose the Bill as it kills the spirit of Article 102 of the Constitution, which pertains to Office of Profit," Bharatiya Janata Party deputy leader in Rajya Sabha Sushma Swaraj told reporters in New Delhi after a meeting of NDA leaders chaired by former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Maintaining that the persons sought to be saved come out clearly from the long list of posts included in the Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Amendment Bill 2006 to be introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, she said, "It is being brought to save this Government. We have decided to oppose it in one voice when it is introduced."
The Opposition alliance wanted Article 102 should be redefined and its ambiguity to be removed, she said.
Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Jaswant Singh had written to Leader of Lok Sabha Pranab Mukherjee conveying BJP's view that it was against the dilution of the spirit of Article 102 of the Constitution, she said, adding that the party was also against any legislation with retrospective effect.
"Today, they have included 46 posts. Tomorrow, they can add hundreds more," said Swaraj.
The 90-minute long meeting discussed the issue in detail and was attended among others by Leader of Opposition L K Advani, NDA Convener George Fernandes, Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav, Dinesh Trivedi (Trinamool Congress), Ananth Geethe (Shiv Sena), B J Panda (Biju Janata Dal) and senior BJP leaders.
The meeting, the first during the second part of the Budget session, also chalked out the NDA's strategy for the coming days in both Houses. The alliance decided to vociferously raise several issues, including spiraling prices, wheat import, Foreign Direct Investment in retail and to demand the removal of Election Commissioner Navin Chawla.
Swaraj said there was no discussion on the contentious reservation issue.
Party sources said BJP leaders were of the view that no parliamentarian or legislator should be allowed to hold any office other than his membership of the House.
Meanwhile, Congress has hit out at the BJP-led NDA over its decision to oppose the bill on office of profit, dubbing the move as 'politically motivated.'
Party spokesman Rajeev Shukla said if the main opposition was posing the matter as an issue of morality, then the saffron party should withdraw similar bills in some of the party-ruled states to save ministers and legislators from disqualification.
"There cannot be two rules for the same game," he remarked.
Shukla told PTI that government was trying to resolve the issue, which was in the interest of all political parties. "But it appears that the NDA, particularly the BJP, wants to take political advantage," he said
Congress sources said NDA's decision appeared to be under pressure from Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee who has given disqualification petitions against 10 CPI-M parliamentarians, including Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, on the office of profit issue.