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Journalism of Courage
Snubbed by the Election Commission, which pursued the disqualification cases against at least a dozen party MPs under Office-of-Profit rules, the CPM was looking at a crisis after the President returned the Parliament Prevention of Disqualification Amendment Bill.
Upset at the development, the party took an aggressive position. Basudeb Acharia, CPM8217;s leader in the Lok Sabha, said, 8216;8216;The Monsoon Session should be advanced to consider the Bill. It should be passed and sent back to the President.8217;8217; He said the President had returned the Bill for reconsideration on the ground that it lacked uniformity.
8216;8216;There cannot be a uniform Bill that covers both Parliament and state legislatures,8217;8217; he said. The party will be getting in touch with the UPA leadership on the issue.
There are 11 MPs from West Bengal and one from Tripura whose names figure on the EC list of parliamentarians holding offices-of-profit under the state government. In fact, out of 45 positions for which exemptions have been sought in the Bill, 17 positions relate to West Bengal and one to Tripura.
There are several top party leaders whose positions will come under the scanner if Parliament fails to pass the Bill. Among them is Speaker Somnath Chatterjee Sriniketan-Santiniketan Development Authority and Hannan Mollah State Wakf Board.
The complaint against the CPM MPs had been filed by a Trinamool Congress member. The CPM had described the move as a pre-election gimmick.
Earlier this month, its general secretary Prakash Karat had written to President Kalam citing 8216;8216;unwarranted and unjustified exercise of power and authority on the part of the EC8217;8217; for taking cognisance of the Trinamool Congress complaint. Ironically, on Tuesday, the party was left to deal with a decision from the President himself that had pushed it into a corner.
