No lapse by govt on Office of Profit issue: Dasmunsi

New Delhi, Apr 1: Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi has asserted that the UPA Government had not faulted on the issue of ''Office of Profit'' and refuted the charge that there was any effort by the Centre to save Congress President Sonia Gandhi from Lok Sabha disqualification for heading the National Advisory Council.

The Government had no intention to bring an ordinance and it was totally wrong that the Budget Session of Parliament was adjourned sine-die to help one particular person (Sonia Gandhi), Mr Dasmunsi said in an interview to Karan Thapar for CNN-IBN.

He maintained that all financial business had been completed and the Government had no more business before it and therefore it adjourned both the Houses sine-die.

When pointed out that two bills, one relating to communal violence and the other on Banking regulation which were cleared by the cabinet were to come up before Parliament, he said there were no such pending bills which had been cleared by the Business Advisory Committee. ''If any proves that I am wrong it will resign,'' the Parliamentary Affairs Minister said.

He also said there was no pressure on Mrs Gandhi either from the Government or the Party. It was her own decision which she had stated while announcing her resignation. ''I defend she did it on her own to clear the falls perception being made out by the Opposition in the public about the Government that it is finding a way to favour her,'' he added.

Mr Dasmunsi however accepted that no previous governments as UPA Government had ever applied their mind to clear the grey areas on the issue of profit. But it cannot be held as lapse done by A or B, he said.

Responding to a question, he also disagreed with West Bengal Chief Minister Buddadeb Bhattacharya charge that Mrs Gandhi's resignation was a desperate attempt to salve her own image and that of the party. If that was so, Mr Bhddadeb should also advise his own men to do the same, he said, without naming Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee and others.

UNI

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