New Delhi: The BJP Parliamentary Board has formally decided to appeal to President Pranab Mukherjee to reject the ordinance on shielding convicted legislators. The board has also decided to ask the government to call for an all party meet on compulsory voting.
"The BJP is opposed to this ordinance and it is unconstitutional, illegal and immoral," LK Advani had said after meeting the President.
Senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj had said the Presdent had assured that he will take a decision on it only after examining it. "The President has assured us that he will examine the ordinance and then only take any decision," Sushma had said.
Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley had questioned the passage of the ordinance by the government. "When bill is pending before the standing committee of the Rajya Sabha, how can the government bring an ordinance," he had said.
The voice of dissent has also merged from the Congress with the party Vice President Rahul Gandhi calling the ordinance 'nonsense' and said it should be torn up and thrown away. Other party leaders Milind Deora, Digvijaya Singh, Sandeep Dikshit and Anil Shastri also opposed the ordinance.
Earlier, Aam Aadmi Party leaders also met the President voicing their opposition to the ordinance and asked him not to sign it.
The ordinance cleared by the Union Cabinet came as a huge reprieve for legislators who were facing immediate disqualification as they can continue in office despite their conviction. The ordinance is a reversal of the Supreme Court judgement according to which lawmakers convicted of offences with 2 years or more in jail were to be immediately disqualified. The order also barred convicted and jailed leaders from contesting elections after the court also reinterpreted the Representation of People's Act.
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