After days of high drama, the government on Wednesday decided to withdraw a controversial ordinance and a related bill seen as designed to shield convicted lawmakers.
The fate of the ordinance cleared by the Union cabinet seemed sealed on September 27 after Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi described it as “complete nonsense” and one that should be “torn up and thrown
away”.
The decision to withdraw the ordinance came at a cabinet meeting — chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh — that began around 6pm and was over in barely 20 minutes.
“The Union cabinet unanimously decided that the Ordinance regarding certain aspects of the Representation of the People Act as well as the bill (pending in Parliament) should be withdrawn,” information and broadcasting minister Manish Tewari said after the meeting.
The stage for the decision, however, was set in the morning when Gandhi met the PM.
According to reports, Gandhi explained his position to the PM, who was away in the US when the Congress vice-president publicly trashed the ordinance.
Soon after Gandhi met the PM, the Congress core group, which included home minister Sushilkumar Shinde and party president Sonia Gandhi’s political aide Ahmed Patel, met and decided against going through with the ordinance.
The Congress-led UPA’s allies including the Samajwadi Party, Nationalist Congress Party and the National Conference expressed displeasure in the run-up to the cabinet meeting.
Congress spokesperson Renuka Chowdhary, however, said she was “sure that all our allies are on board”.
Shortly after the core group meeting, the PM called on President Pranab Mukherjee.
Gandhi’s outburst was preceded by Mukherjee’s reported reluctance to give his assent to the ordinance, which was cleared by the cabinet following a Supreme Court ruling on immediate disqualification of legislators convicted for at least two years.
The fate of the ordinance cleared by the Union cabinet seemed sealed on September 27 after Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi described it as “complete nonsense” and one that should be “torn up and thrown
'Union cabinet has unanimously decided to withdraw the ordinance as well as the bill' says Manish Tiwari,Congress to the reporters. ANI PHOTO
The decision to withdraw the ordinance came at a cabinet meeting — chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh — that began around 6pm and was over in barely 20 minutes.
“The Union cabinet unanimously decided that the Ordinance regarding certain aspects of the Representation of the People Act as well as the bill (pending in Parliament) should be withdrawn,” information and broadcasting minister Manish Tewari said after the meeting.
The stage for the decision, however, was set in the morning when Gandhi met the PM.
According to reports, Gandhi explained his position to the PM, who was away in the US when the Congress vice-president publicly trashed the ordinance.
Soon after Gandhi met the PM, the Congress core group, which included home minister Sushilkumar Shinde and party president Sonia Gandhi’s political aide Ahmed Patel, met and decided against going through with the ordinance.
The Congress-led UPA’s allies including the Samajwadi Party, Nationalist Congress Party and the National Conference expressed displeasure in the run-up to the cabinet meeting.
Congress spokesperson Renuka Chowdhary, however, said she was “sure that all our allies are on board”.
Shortly after the core group meeting, the PM called on President Pranab Mukherjee.
Gandhi’s outburst was preceded by Mukherjee’s reported reluctance to give his assent to the ordinance, which was cleared by the cabinet following a Supreme Court ruling on immediate disqualification of legislators convicted for at least two years.
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