The Hindu : National : Parliament is supreme: Left

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 25, 2006

National

National

Parliament is supreme: Left

K.V. Prasad

Says President has right to only advise

NEW DELHI: The Left parties on Monday said Parliament would take a view on the Office of Profit Bill sent back by President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam for its reconsideration but asserted that the "supremacy of Parliament cannot be sought to be undermined.''

The parties said the fact that members were reconsidering the Bill was a sign that Parliament respected the suggestion of the President, would discuss and decide. "We are respecting the President and will reconsider [the Bill in the light of] suggestions he has made, and take a decision,'' Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury said after a meeting of the Left parties.

Conflict of views

CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta said in the annals of India's parliamentary democracy, there were instances of conflict of views between the President and Parliament.

He said the President has the right to give advice but "supremacy of Parliament cannot be sought to be undermined."

He also criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party for approaching the President on the opening day of the Monsoon Session stating that when their leaders knew that the House was scheduled to discuss — internal security, price rise and Office of Profit issue — the "implicit message'' of the move was to put hurdles in the way of Parliament.

"We do not accept any institution is supreme to Parliament. There were differences between Jawaharlal Nehru and Rajendra Prasad and even Indira Gandhi and the then President. A similar situation is emerging. We will unite to get the Bill passed in its present form,'' Mr. Dasgupta said.

Ridicules move

He ridiculed BJP's initial move to bring an adjournment motion stating that if the party was honest in its intention, it should have brought a no confidence motion against the Government.

The Left leaders also charged the BJP with going back on an agreement reached on Sunday. They said as per it, the Speaker was to allow the BJP to move an adjournment motion on the Mumbai serial blast.

"In spite of the agreement, the BJP did not allow the Lok Sabha to function,'' they said.

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