UPA delegation meets Kalam over Jharkhand bill

A 50-member delegation of members and legislators from the United Progressive Alliance parties in Jharkhand on Tuesday called on President A P J Abdul Kalam and demanded that he direct Governor Syed Sibte Razi not to accord assent to the bill to save ruling National Democratic Alliance legislators from disqualification for holding offices of profit.

"....the governor of Jharkhand may kindly be directed to look into the developments objectively and save democracy in Jharkhand. The governor should not accord assent to the bill as it will create a wrong precedent and save the wrong doers," the memorandum said.

JMM supremo and Union minister Shibu Soren, Leader of opposition in Jharkhand Assembly Sudhir Mahato and Independent legislator Stephen Marandi later told reporters that the President assured them that he would look into their demand and "consider it seriously."

The delegation complained to the President that institutions of democracy were being "ruthlessly demolished" in Jharkhand.

The leaders said that since five members of the ruling NDA, which has a thin majority in the 82-member House, were facing disqualification for holding offices of profit, the state government "...hurriedly introduced a a Bill completely ignoring the procedure and precedence" for tabling a legislation.

They said the procedure for introducing a Bill was not followed, reflecting the "ulterior motive" of the state government.

"It is obvious that it was done to save the five members from disqualification of membership. In a way, a fraud on the Constitution has been committed by the ruling party," they charged.