Jaya, Sonia, Karan, who all next?
According to Govt sources there are over 50 Members of Parliament, cutting across party lines, who are holding offices of profit.
Article 102 (1) (a) says a person shall be disqualified for being chosen as, and for being, a member of either House of Parliament if he holds any office of profit under the Government of India or the Government of any State, other than an office declared by Parliament by law not to disqualify its holder.
Sonia Gandhi, Jaya Bachchan and Karan Singh have already become victims of this Article. And according to government sources, there are over 50 Members of Parliament, cutting across party lines, who are holding offices of profit.
Some of the prominent MPs who allegedly hold offices of profit:
1. Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, (chairs Sriniketan-Shantineketan Development Authority)
2. CPM MP Mohammad Salim, (heads the West Bengal Minority Development Corporation)
3. CPM MP Hannan Mullah (chief of the State Waqf Board)
4. BJP MP VK Malhotra, (former president of the All India Council of Sports).
5. Amar Singh, SP, Chairperson of UP Industrial Development Council
6. Union Minister T Subbirami Reddy, (Chairman, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams)
7. Rajya Sabha MP Kapila Vatsayan (Director, IGNC)
8. Laxman Sheth - Chairman of the Haldia Development Authority
9. Hannan Mollah - Chairman of Wakf Board
10. Suresh Kalmadi - President of the Indian Olympic Committe.
Petitions have been filed for the disqualification of these members. The Election Commission has sent a notice to Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh, Rajya Sabha member and chairperson of the Uttar Pradesh Industrial Development Council, on a similar petition against him.
What is Office of Profit
An office of profit means a position that brings to the person holding it some financial gain, or advantage, or benefit.
It may be an office or place of profit if it carries some remuneration, financial advantage, benefit etc.
The amount of such profit is immaterial.