BJP, Congress engage in slugfest over controversial ordinance

NEW DELHI: As indications emerge that Centre could withdraw the controversial ordinance on lawmakers, BJP and Congress today engaged in a slugfest over the issue with the Opposition claiming victory and the ruling party accusing it of changing tunes.

"It is BJP's pressure, which has won and it is the opinion of the people of this country, which has won. It is not Rahul Gandhi's decision because Rahul Gandhi's opinion is what was Congress opinion....

"So it is not the initiative of Rahul Gandhi. It is the opinion of the Supreme Court, the people and the pressure exerted by the Opposition, which has won," BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi said.

Countering the claim, Parliamentary Affairs Minister and senior Congress leader Kamal Nath said the BJP was on board when the decision was taken to address the issue of section 8(4) of the People Act that was struck down by the Supreme Court, which enabled three-month breather to lawmakers to appeal for a stay against the conviction.

"BJP reposition themselves. They will posture, they will pose, they will do something in the meeting, something in the public and something else privately. That's an old sytle of functioning of the BJP," Nath said.

The minister said that two all-party meetings were held on August 1 and on August 13 and the "BJP was of clear view that 8(4)should be dealt with and should be addressed, and they were supporting that we should bring an amendment including a Constitutional amendment." Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj termed the ordinance as "unconstitutional".