No differences in UPA on Enemy Property Bill: Chidambaram

The decision on the amendments to the Enemy Property Bill was taken after consulting the UPA.

Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday said the decision on the official amendments to the Enemy Property Bill was taken after consulting both Congress and the UPA constituents.

On the Enemy Property Bill,the decision on the official amendments was taken after consulting Congress party members and UPA party members by the Cabinet. There is no difference between the constituent parties and the government on the official amendments, he said.

The government failed to get the Bill to amend the Enemy Property Act cleared by Parliament in the recently concluded monsoon session due to stiff opposition by Muslim MPs.

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Chidambaram also said that the government will bring in a fresh Bill containing the ordinance provisions and the official amendments in the next session of Parliament,adding that between now and the next session,necessary legal steps will be taken.

Asked about the urgency to bring in an ordinance in the first place,Chidambaram said that in 2010,a case came to the fore when a court directed the government to return an enemy property. Then I asked what is the case about. Then they brought the entire history before me. We found that the first judgment came in 2005 and subsequently there have been High Court judgments from many courts. Then we took the opinion of the Law Ministry and decided the only way was to reverse the statement of law and restore the original position as stated in 1968, he said.

On whether,as a lawyer,he had ever represented the erstwhile Raja of Mehmoodabad in any court,Chidambaram said,I have no recollection of any such case.

ON HEADLEY

India is set to respond to the latest dossier sent by Pakistan seeking more information on terror suspect David Headleys visits to India between 2006 and 2009. They gave a dossier on David Headley. We have furnished answers,which are being given to Ministry of External Affairs and they will hand them over to Pakistan High Commission either today or tomorrow, Chidambaram said.

ON TERROR CAMPS IN BENGAL

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I think that it is agreed now that there are some camps in parts of West Bengal and their cadres also carry arms. Law and order is a state subject. Our duty is to bring these facts to the notice to the Bengal government and ask them to take appropriate action, he said.

ON GERMAN BAKERY BLAST PROBE

Chidambaram said that the security agencies probing the terror attack had identified suspects based on video footage but had not yet been able to locate them.

ON DEATH ROW CASES

Chidambaram said the record of the UPA government was much better than that of the NDA government in dealing with cases of prisoners on death row. When L K Advani was Home Minister,14 cases were submitted to the President. No case was decided. My immediate predecessor (Shivraj Patil) re-submitted the 14 cases (of NDA) plus another 14 cases and two cases were decided. In the 14 months of UPA II,our government submitted eight cases,and five have already been decided, he said.