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Confusion over `office of profit'

Neena Vyas

Some leaders want to do away with the ground for disqualification

New Delhi: Confusion prevails among political parties on the issue of MPs and MLAs holding "offices of profit" that could lead to their disqualification as in the recent case of Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan.

Although a senior Congress leader and Minister, while talking informally to some reporters, said on Tuesday that there was no move to bring in legislation to clarify what was an "office of profit," some senior leaders of the Opposition parties insisted consultations were on between the Law Ministry and other parties on this sensitive issue. The Bharatiya Janata Party was quick to raise the political stakes, saying that the post of chairperson of the National Advisory Council (NAC), held by Sonia Gandhi, may well be an "office of profit" and the party would study the matter before petitioning President Abdul Kalam. The Congress, of course, was quick to deny that Ms. Gandhi was in danger of attracting disqualification. The NAC post, the party spokesperson pointed out, carried no salary or perquisites, and was a purely "advisory role." As if to counter the BJP's campaign against Ms. Gandhi, a senior Congress minister on Tuesday hinted that the BJP deputy leader in the Lok Sabha V.K. Malhotra, could also attract disqualification, as at the time of his election to the 14th Lok Sabha he held the position of Chairman, Sports Authority of India, which carried a Cabinet rank and perquisites.

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