Mounting criticism forces Congress to do rethink on ordinance

New Delhi: Mounting public criticism and growing opposition within appeared to have forced Congress to do a re-think on the controversial ordinance on convicted lawmakers with Rahul Gandhi slamming it as “complete nonsense” and that it should be “torn up and thrown away”. “Why should we be getting the muck over this ordinance just to save one Congress MP or some ally leader. This was an indefensible ordinance,” was the view of a senior party leader on the issue. [caption id=“attachment_1138367” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi. PTI[/caption] Gandhi’s move came amid some party leaders expressing apprehension that the move will damage Congress’ prospects in upcoming elections. The party claims that after Gandhi rejected the ordinance, much of the the damage on the party will be undone and BJP cannot derive any political mileage out of it “since it had backed the exact formulation of the ordinance in an all-party meeting”. There is also a belief in the party that Gandhi’s intervention at this stage will also help blunt the criticism that he does not interfere when the party is struggling with key issues. As the opposition mounted a fresh attack on Congress after Gandhi’s remarks slamming the ordinance, Congress has asked its most articulate lot of spokespersons to counter it. A senior party leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, also rejected the suggestion that Gandhi’s sharp attack on the ordinance gives the impression that the country has a “lameduck” Prime Minister. “Withdrawing an ordinance does not make the Prime Minister lameduck,” said the leader who felt that another cabinet meeting could be held to take another decision on the issue. The leader also said Gandhi must have talked to other leaders also on the issue. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is in Washington, said the issues raised by Rahul Gandhi will be considered by the Cabinet on his return to India. The arguments being advanced by Congress are that Gandhi took the decision to oppose the ordinance respecting the public sentiments against the move and the discomfiture in the party over it. Congress will also be highlighting that BJP was on board on the exact formulation of the ordinance and has no moral right to criticize Congress on it. Party’s Communication Department chief Ajay Maken hit out at the Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley over his remarks that the heads which brought out this “nonsense” must roll. “Jaitley should also decide whose heads should roll within his own party because his own party had approved the formulation of the ordinace in an all-party meeting in August. Finance Minister P Chidmabaram said Jaitley was also present in the meeting,” he said. Maken also said “the situation with any issue evolves with time and it has evolved and no one should have any objection to it” when asked that Congress, which was so far defending the decision on ordinance, changed the tune all of a sudden after Rahul’s remarks. A senior leader, requesting anonymity, said Gandhi has taken the “right decision for the party” as at a time the party is claiming credit for bringing in Right to Information. “Gandhi interacts with large sections of people. He must have got to know what kind of reactions the ordinance decision is eliciting,” the leader said. The leader said Gandhi had during an interaction in Pune a few days ago had indicated his discomfiture with the decision on the ordinance. PTI