Undeterred by the return of the Office of Profit bill by President APJ Abdul Kalam, a specially convened session of the Karnataka legislature today passed amendments to a law to exempt several posts from the ambit of the office of profit.
Passed by voice vote, the Karnataka Legislature (Prevention of Disqualification) (Amendment) Bill, 2006, exempts posts of deputy ministers, office of chairman, speaker, deputy speaker, minister of state, parliamentary secretary, leaders of opposition, heads of Panchayats and those holding posts in cooperative bodies, among others.
Piloting the bill, Minister for Law Basavaraj Horatti justified it, saying it was necessary in the light of recent developments, following petitions seeking disqualification of several MPs on grounds that they held the office of profit.
Rejecting the opposition charge that the bill was being brought in haste, he said the government had consulted constitutional and legal experts on the subject.
The bill came in for attack from opposition Congress,which said it was bring introduced to save the JDS-BJP coalition government, which, it alleged, suffered from "internal contradictions".
Last week, the state cabinet had decided to hold the special session within days after the President returned the central bill to Parliament.
{{/usCountry}}Last week, the state cabinet had decided to hold the special session within days after the President returned the central bill to Parliament.
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