Opposition parties stepped up their attack on the government for promulgating ordinances to ensure that the Directors of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) could have tenures of up to five years. While the Trinamool Congress gave notice for moving statutory resolutions in Rajya Sabha disapproving the ordinances, a senior Congress leader suggested that all political parties jointly approach the Supreme Court challenging the move. Sources in the Congress, however, said the party is unlikely to approach the Supreme Court directly. Addressing a press conference, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said, “This ordinance says, I will keep you on probation. I will keep you on a tight leash. I am keeping you in a master-servant relationship. I will ask you every six months, nine months. look, your next extension is due. Have you behaved? Have you done the master’s bidding? If you have, I may consider an extension. If you haven’t, tough luck, go home. This ordinance gives the government the power to make piecemeal, partial extensions.” Senior Congress leader Manish Tewari said “all political parties should jointly challenge the ordinances because they fly in the face of the judgment in the Jain Hawala case delivered in 1998 as also the observations by a Division Bench of the Supreme Court in the case of the current Enforcement Director, where they have categorically said that the term of the current Director should not be extended beyond November 21, 2021 when he superannuates. These ordinances have been brought in to undermine the observations of the Supreme Court”. “You are completely defeating the protection provided in the Jain Hawala case by putting officials who handle sensitive organisations, with huge potential of mischief, basically on a drip. That you keep doing our bidding and you keep getting an extension. Is there a shortage of competent officers that only certain officers are given a tenure in perpetuity,” he added. Trinamool Congress’s leader in the Rajya Sabha, Derek O’Brien, took the lead in giving notices for moving statutory resolutions challenging the ordinances. Sources said some of the other Opposition MPs are now expected to do the same. A statutory resolution moved by a member challenging a legislation has to be taken up when the Bill comes up for discussion. With several Opposition parties opposing the ordinances, sources said the Trinamool Congress would demand a division on the statutory resolutions. The Opposition expects the Government to bring in Bills to replace the ordinances in the forthcoming Winter Session itself.
