Khatana’s nomination blatant violation of Constitution: Cong

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 11: Congress has questioned the nomination of  Ghulam Ali Khatana from Jammu to Rajya Sabha, stating that it is in blatant violation of the constitutional provisions for nomination to Rajya Sabha.
JKPCC leader, Ravinder Sharma said that there is nothing personal against Khatana but it is the question of the misuse and violation of the Constitution and he doesn’t fulfil the  requisite qualification for nomination, as per Constitution. His only qualification is that he is BJP worker, for which BJP could have got him elected for Rajya Sabha, on party ticket from anywhere in the country.
But misusing the provisions of the Constitution for vested political interests has become the routine affair of the Modi led BJP.
He said Congress too gave representation in the Rajya Sabha to the Tribal Gujjar community by sending veteran Gujjar leader and former Speaker and Ex- president JKPCC Ch Mohd Aslam in 2005.
In support of his assertions, Sharma it was in the the provisions of the Constitution. He said that Clause (3) of Article 80 of the Constitution of India lays down the criteria for the nomination of the members of the Rajya Sabha, which provides as under-  ”(3) The members to be nominated by the President under sub- clause (a) of clause (1) shall consist of persons having special knowledge or practicle experience in respect of such matters as the following namely,“Literature, Science, Art and Social Service. “
The Clause (1) of Article 80 of the Constitution provides that 12 members shall be nominated by the President in accordance with the provisions of clause (3); the bare reading of these provisions of the Constitution make it manifestly clear that the spirit and provisions of the Constitution have been blatantly violated in the nomination of Khatana, whose only qualification is that he is a BJP worker. However, he extended congratulations to Khatana on his nomination.