Rahul's 'nonsense' outburst has its way, protective gears removed
Cabinet decides to withdraw Ordinance, Bill on lawmakers
Source: The Sangai Express / Press Trust of India

New Delhi, October 02 2013: Reversing its earlier step, Cabinet today decided to withdraw the Ordinance as well as Bill that sought to give protection to convicted lawmakers in the wake of public outburst against it by Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi.

In a business-like 20-minute meeting, presided over by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Cabinet overturned its earlier decision of September 24 to provide immunity to convicted lawmakers from immediate disqualification.

The decision capped a day of hectic activities which included Rahul Gandhi meeting the Prime Minister which was followed by a meeting of Congress Core Group headed by party President Sonia Gandhi.

"The Union Cabinet unanimously decided that the Ordinance regarding certain aspects of the Representation of the People Act as well as the Bill (pending in Parliament) should be withdrawn," Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari told reporters.

The Cabinet had approved on September 24 the Ordinance which sought to negate the Supreme Court order of July 10 which ruled that any lawmaker would stand immediately disqualified if convicted by a court.

Rahul Gandhi in a meeting with Manmohan Singh

The overturning of the decision came in the wake of Rahul Gandhi's trashing of the Ordinance as "nonsense".

He had said it should be "torn" and "thrown out" .

Rahul Gandhi's public outburst was seen as undermining the authority of the Prime Minister who was on a visit to the US but the government finally toed his line.

The Ordinance was not signed by President Pranab Mukherjee as he too had reservations on it.

Government had resorted to the Ordinance route after it failed to get a Bill in this regard passed by Parliament during the Monsoon session which ended last month.

Tewari said an "appropriate motion will be moved at appropriate time when Parliament meets" for withdrawal of the Bill.

Explaining the reasons for reversing the decision, he said the government reconsidered the issue after Rahul Gandhi gave his opinion based on the "widest feedback" .

He said the Prime Minister had articulated yesterday that "democracy is not a monolithic authority" and there can be reconsideration.

When pointed out that the government had earlier strongly justified the Ordinance, Tewari said he and several other ministers had defended it as it was their duty to defend a Cabinet decision.

He said the reversal of the decision shows that the government is sensitive to the wishes of the people.

Forced by Rahul Gandhi's open trashing of the government, the Union Cabinet tonight decided to withdraw the controversial ordinance on convicted lawmakers as well as a related bill in the face of mounting public opinion against the measure.

The reversal by the Cabinet is seen as a rare instance of the government being forced to take back a measure that was cleared after much deliberations in the ruling party and the Council of Ministers after resistance from within.

At the meeting, NCP leader Sharad Pawar is understood to have criticised the events leading to the reversal of the Cabinet decision, an apparent reference Rahul's public outburst.

He felt that institutions were being undermined when the decision on overturning the July 10 Supreme Court order which withdrew the immunity for convicted lawmakers.

Another ally, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah was also critical of the way Rahul condemned the government in public, undermining not just the Prime Minister, but the whole Cabinet.