Withdrawal of ordinance questions sanctity of PM, Cabinet: Pawar

The Nationalist Congress Party is perhaps the only ally of the Congress that expressed reservations over the withdrawal of the controversial ordinance to rescue convicted lawmakers. Now according to party chief Sharad Pawar, the episode raises questions about the sanctity of the Cabinet and the PM’s office. “It raises questions on the sanctity of the PM and the Cabinet,” Pawar told CNN-IBN in an exclusive interview_._  The NCP chief, who is also the Agriculture Minister and part of the Cabinet, said that taking a decision on the ordinance after failing to push it through Parliament and then taking it back in less a month was ’not good’. “I hope such incidents are not repeated in future,” Pawar said. [caption id=“attachment_1149981” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Pawar was among those opposed to the withdrawl of the ordinance. PTI image[/caption] What the former Congressman didn’t make clear was whether he had a greater problem with the manner in which Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi publicly denounced the ordinance or the manner in which the Cabinet switched sides. After hectic deliberations following Rahul’s statement on the matter, the Cabinet yesterday decided to withdraw the ordinance and the bill pending in Parliament that would allow convicted lawmakers to contest elections.