New Delhi: The Cabinet on Sunday evening rejected the ordinance route for anti-corruption bills pushed by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. However, it cleared reservation for the jat community and approved changes to the Telangana bill.
The decision regarding the division of Andhra Pradesh gives special status to Seemandhra. The Cabinet decision on jats would give the community reservation in central government jobs and educational institutions.
The Cabinet, which met here this evening, discussed the issue of these ordinances, but it was felt that full deliberations are required in Parliament keeping with the “highest traditions of democratic principles”, information and broadcasting minister Manish Tewari said reporters.
This was the second time in three days that the Cabinet decided against using the ordinance route on certain measures, which were being pushed by Rahul Gandhi as part of a “framework” to fight corruption.
This decision is believed to have been influenced by the apprehension that President Pranab Mukherjee would not give assent to these. Senior ministers like law minister Kapil Sibal and home minister Sushilkumar Shinde met the President at least twice since Saturday, apparently to gauge his mood but evidently did not get any positive signal.
Sources said the Congress core group, headed by Sonia Gandhi, had given its assent on Saturday to using the ordinance route to measures like Prevention of Corruption Act, Citizens’ Right to Time-bound Delivery of Services and Citizens Charter Bill, SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill and Rights of Persons with Disability Bill.
Bureau Report
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