Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 6: J&K National Panthers Party (NPP), chairman and former Minister, Harshdev Singh has condemned the NDA Govt for undermining the legislative role of Parliament and persistently taking recourse to ordinance route for pushing through its so called Reforms agenda.
In a press statement here today, Mr Singh said that issuance of three ordinances immediately after the end of December session of Parliament defied all logic and is violative of constitutional provisions which say that the ordinance route is to be taken only in extraordinary situations when the Parliament is not in session. He said that Art 123 of the Constitution of India categorically states that ordinances can be issued only during Parliament recess and only if the President is satisfied that circumstances exist which necessitate an immediate action. He said that the issues pertaining to FDI in insurance sector, auction of coal mines and amendment to land acquisition law didn’t justify the ordinance making route and more especially when the Parliament session had just concluded.
NPP leader said that the most devious aspect of the matter was that the ordinances on increased FDI in insurance and on coal mines were issued the very next day after Parliament adjourned. It is true that the BJP lacks majority in the Rajya Sabha but then why it didn’t call for a joint session where it claimed to have majority. He regretted that the Govt had thrust nine ordinances upon the people of India since it came to power in May last and was further planning the ordinance route for auction of iron ore and other minerals. He said that the plea taken by the BJP led Govt that the ordinance route was being taken in view of ‘obstructionist attitude’ of opposition is highly unjustified, unconstitutional besides being inherently undemocratic.
Harshdev pointed out that the Supreme Court had very strongly commented in 1987 that the ordinance making power “is in the nature of emergency power to take action when the legislature is not in session. This power is to be used to meet an extraordinary situation and it can’t be allowed to be perverted to serve political ends”.
Flaying the BJP led Government for undermining the majesty and supremacy of Parliament, Mr Singh made a fervent appeal to support Non BJP candidates for all Parliamentary elections including those for Rajya Sabha in the interest of healthy and vibrant democracy.
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