'Govt coming up with 'Sonia Bachao' ordinance'

New Delhi, Mar 22: Barely a week after cine star and Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan was disqualified from the Rajya Sabha for holding an office of profit, the NDA today (Mar 22, 2006) accused the Government of planning to issue an ordinance apparently to save UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi from facing similar charges and disqualification from Lok Sabha.

Addressing newspersons, Leader of the Opposition L K Advani said they had definite information that the government had plans to adjourn the Lok Sabha sine die today and prorogued it to facilitate a He said the Ordinance would delete certain posts from being treated as ''office of profit'' so that certain MPs holding such posts did not face disqualification.

''The Ordinance was merely meant to save Sonia Gandhi. Baki sab to bahana hai, Sonia ko bachana hai (The rest is all an excuse, Sonia Gandhi has to be saved),'' Advani said.

''The government move is wrong and it should not be done. We are opposed to any such move,'' he asserted.

Under the rules, the government cannot bring in any ordinance when Parliament is sitting.

Since many writs had been filed in courts against MPs holding office of profit, the Government had fears that Mrs Gandhi might also be charged and face disqualification, Advani said.

UNI