Cabinet drops Rahul’s anti-graft Ordinances, but clears Jat quota
The Union Cabinet on Sunday backtracked on pushing Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s anti-graft proposals through the Ordinance route after President Pranab Mukherjee reportedly conveyed his reluctance to endorse such measures.
But the Cabinet decided in favour of providing reservation to Jats in OBC category, a move clearly aimed at the forthcoming lok Sabha polls. The Jat community will find mention in the Central OBC list for Government jobs, and admission in educational institutions. The Cabinet also introduced some amendments in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill.
The anti-graft Bills were seen Congress’ desperate attempt to reclaim the anti-corruption plank from the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party in the run-up to the lok Sabha polls.
Sources said the Congress Core Group, headed by Sonia Gandhi, had already given its assent to using the Ordinance route to measures like Prevention of Corruption Act, Citizens’ Right to Time-bound Delivery of Services and Citizens’ Charter Bill, SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill and Rights of Persons with Disability Bill.
Though few in the Government were willing to admit that Rahul’s pet anti-graft measures had to be buried at the behest of the President, the development of the day clearly pointed to it. After leaders of the BJP and the CPI(M) wrote to the President not to give his assent to the Ordinances, law Minister Kapil Sibal and Home Minister Shinde called on Mukherjee.
Soon after returning from the Rashtrapati Bhavan, both these senior Ministers attended the Union Cabinet, which was especially convened to take up these Ordinances. Sources said Sibal and Shinde presented before the Cabinet the views of the President on the matter. After this, the Cabinet decided to place these Ordinances on the back burner.
In letters to Mukherjee, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy and CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat pointed to the unconstitutionality and illegality of the UPA Government in pushing these Ordinances after the end of the lok Sabha’s last session. While Karat asked Mukherjee to exercise his wisdom, Swamy suggested that the President to seek opinion of the Supreme Court on the legality of the UPA’s move.
However, Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said these Ordinances were preferred by the Cabinet for “proper discussion and debate in appropriate forums”. “Cabinet favoured full discussion on anti-corruption legislations instead of bringing Ordinances,” said Tewari, claiming the Congress and UPA Government’s “determination to fight against corruption”.
Meanwhile in a controversial move, days after Parliament passed the Telangana Bill, the Cabinet made amendments to it related to the allocation of area in the border of Seemandhra and Telangana near Polavaram and Bhadrachalam region.
In a bid to pacify the Seemandhra Region, the Cabinet has asked Planning Commission to grant it special status for five years. “Cabinet directed Planning Commission to grant special category status for five years to the successor state of Andhra Pradesh comprising 13 districts,” said Union Minister Jairam Ramesh, while briefing the Cabinet decisions related to Andhra Pradesh. In another decision, the Cabinet decided to return more than 130 properties in Delhi to Wakf Board and other Muslim organisations.
Putting on an act
The anti-graft Bills were seen Congress’s desperate attempt to reclaim the anti-corruption plank from the BJP and the AAP in the run-up to the lok Sabha polls
Congress Core Group, headed by Sonia Gandhi, had already given its assent to using the Ordinance route to measures like Prevention of Corruption Act, Citizens’ Right to Time-bound Delivery of Services and Citizens’ Charter Bill, SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill and Rights of Persons with Disability Bill
Though few in the Government were willing to admit that Rahul’s pet anti-graft measures had to be buried at the behest of the President, the development of the day clearly pointed to it
After leaders of the BJP and the CPI(M) wrote to the President not to give his assent to the Ordinances, law Minister Kapil Sibal and Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde called on Mukherjee
The Cabinet decided in favour of providing reservation to Jats in OBC category, a move clearly aimed at the forthcoming lok Sabha polls