‘CM must apologise over qualification ordinance’
Reacting to Rajasthan High Court’s decision of not interfering on the ordinance of minimum qualification to contest panchayat polls, ex-chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday demanded public apology from chief minister Vasundhara Raje for bringing in the ordinance in the state
Reacting to Rajasthan High Court’s decision of not interfering on the ordinance of minimum qualification to contest panchayat polls, ex-chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday demanded public apology from chief minister Vasundhara Raje for bringing in the ordinance in the state.
Gehlot said, “I had stated that in villages it is the experience which matters. It would had been better had there been a debate and consensus over the issue. But the state government suddenly released the order making the educational clause mandatory,” he said.
However, substantiating her decision to pass the ordinance, Raje, on Friday said, “As far as panchayati raj is concerned, more money passes through them (panchayats) than MPs and MLAs. It is important if you are handling that kind of money... Since they are so closely linked with development, it is important to place some of this basic regulations in place.”
The division bench on Thursday turned down a petition filed by civil society groups and refused to immediately interfere with the ordinance saying once the election process has commenced it would not be fit for the court to interfere in the process.
However the bench had stated that the ordinance is irrational and unreasonable.
The High Court prima facie has agreed that barring thousands of people to contest poll through this criteria is unjustified. Because of this there had been no such criteria in assembly and Parliament, Gehlot added.