Bill sent to President for assent

The measure, which exempts 56 posts and gives reprieve to over 40 MPs who could have faced disqualification.

The controversial Office of Profit Bill, which was passed by Parliament amid stiff opposition resistence, was sent to the President on Tuesday for his assent.

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The measure, which exempts 56 posts and gives reprieve to over 40 MPs who could have faced disqualification, was sent to the President, two months after APJ Abdul Kalam had returned it to Parliament for reconsideration.

The passage of the bill in the Lok Sabha on Monday and the Rajya Sabha earlier marked the end of a four-month long political storm in the wake of disqualification of Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan on the office of profit issue.

Controversy over the issue had led to the opposition targeting Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who resigned from the Chairpersonship of the National Advisory Council and the Lok Sabha, and was subsequently re-elected from her pocketborough of Rae Bareli.

Main opposition BJP had vainly pleaded in Parliament against the measure contending that a message should not go that the bill has been brought to "save" MPs.

It had also argued that this was for the first time in 58 years that President has invoked Article 111 of the Constitution which is an "embarassment" to Parliament.