E-Paper
Mamata demands scrapping of OoP Bill
Trinamool Congress Chief Mamata Banerjee stated that the OoP Bill had been 'very hurriedly' introduced in the Lok Sabha for debate.
Demanding scrapping of The Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Amendment Bill, 2006, Trinamool Congress Chief Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday alleged that its 'sole motive' was to "save skin of a large number of CPI(M) MPs of both Houses of Parliament, including the Lok Sabha Speaker".
She alleged that these MPs had been 'shamelessly' occupying Offices of Profit and had thus already incurred legal disqualification for continuation as MPs.
Stating that the Bill had been 'very hurriedly' introduced in the Lok Sabha for debate and passage too, Banerjee told reporters in Kolkata that the Bill was introduced after a Rajya Sabha member was removed by a Presidential order and another Rajya Sabha and a Lok Sabha member did resign "and more so when a Presidential enquiry involving as many as 11 CPI(M) MPs has been pending".
Banerjee described the moving of the Bill as "most untimely" and demanded its immediate withdrawal.
She further alleged "there can never be any question of enacting this Bill with retrospective effect only to save the already disqualified MPs from being removed by Presidential order since they have chosen not to resign following example of two MPs who had already resigned".
The sole Lok Sabha member of the Trinamool Congress said she was surprised that Parliament was going to take up this "totally unethical and immoral Bill" much against the spirit of the Constitution, leaving aside debate on burning issues.
Banerjee regretted not being able to be present in the House "as I have to be in Kolkata to be with my people who are under attack by CPI(M) miscreants."
