(repeating DI 63 inserting matter in first para)

New Delhi, Mar 23: The CPI(M) today said there was no question of its members, including Speaker Somnath Chaterejee, resigning from the Lok Sabha as they did not enjoy any financial benefits and were ready to get
Talking to UNI, Party veteran and Polit Bureau member M K Pandhe said," We dont want them to resign as they are not holding any office of profit, get salary, perks or remuneration," Earlier party stalwarts Prakash Karat and Sitaram Yechury said," our MPs will not resign. They are ready to get disqualified.'' Mr Pandhe said there was an urgent need that the government should take immediate steps to ensure that the Parliament enact a law to define what is the office of Profit.

On the impact of Ms Gandhi's decision on the political landscape in the country, Mr Pandhe gave an evasive reply." Many a political development is taking place, Let us wait and watch." CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan said Ms Gandhi's resignation re- emphasised the need for a bill which clearly defined the office of profit." For that purpose a political consensus is necessary." On the political impact, CPI national Secretary Shamim Faizi said, this would help the Congress chief who was under severe attack by the BJP, which was out to convince the people of the country that the institutions of Parliament and the government were being "misused" to bail her out of the political storm arisen out of the Office of Profit issue.

RSP leader and Rajya Sabha member Manoj Bhattacharya said this was a peculiar development following the rancour in Parliament and media regarding the office of profit issue." Unfortunately the Constitution has not defined the office of profit by now." He said this was high time that the Parlament enact a law that a similiar situation did not take place again." To my mind, Ms Gandhi holding the office of NAC does not attract any provision of the Disqualification Act. She was holding a temporary office." The RSP leader said Ms Gandhi s resignation was unlikely to influence the politcal scene in the assembly polls next month." This is the internal matter of the Congress, let us see how it works out." The RSP leader did not rule out the possibility of any political development including the mid term polls.

Forward Bloc general Secretary Debvrat Biswas said had the UPA government taken an early initiative to evolve a political consensus, the unfortunate development would not have taken place." the new law should ensure the exemption to the MPs who are holding the offices in the PSUs and the private sector from the purview of the Disqualification Act."

UNI