Govt, oppn clash on convicted leaders’ ordinance

A war of words broke out between the opposition and the government on Wednesday over the cabinet’s approval to the ordinance for protecting MPs/MLAs from being immediately disqualified in case of their conviction in a criminal offence punishable with more than a two-year jail term.

A war of words broke out between the opposition and the government on Wednesday over the cabinet’s approval to the ordinance for protecting MPs/MLAs from being immediately disqualified in case of their conviction in a criminal offence punishable with more than a two-year jail term.

The BJP and Left parties questioned the haste shown by the government in bringing the ordinance and Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party announced it would challenge it in the SC, in case the President gave his assent.

Civil society activists also joined the debate, with the Association for Democratic Reforms shooting off a letter to the President, saying he should not sign it. Information and broadcasting minister Manish Tewari took on Sushma Swaraj for her tweet on Tuesday last night, in which she had requested the President not to sign it and made it clear that her party was opposed to the ordinance.

Tewari in his response to Swaraj, tweeted:“The constitutionality of legal enactments are tested in constitutional courts and not in the BJP’s moat.” BJP hit back saying the government and the Congress must explain who gave the idea for bringing the ordinance “to make frauds and rapists as MPs and MLAs.”