Apex court defined one aspect of Profit issue: Cong

New Delhi, May 8 (UNI) The Congress today expressed the view that the Supreme Court judgement dismissing Mrs Jaya Bachchan's petition challenging her disquallification as a Rajya Sabha member had defined only one aspect of the Office of Profit issue and it is for Parliament to decide whether to have a new law for the purpose or to amend the existing one.

Congress Spokesman Abhishek Singhvi told reporters here that the apex court had only ruled that if there was any receivable or pecuniary benefit attached to a post, it became an office of profit.

Whether the receivable or the pecuniary benefit was availed of or not was irrelevant.

"One aspect of the Office of Profit stands defined by today's judgement.There are other legal points to the issue,"he said.

The party would closely study the Supreme Court judgement,which related to a particular individual,the spokes man said.

Just as the judiciary had the right to interpret the law,so it was the right of Parliament to see whether a new law needed to be enacted or the existing law had to be amended,Mr Singhvi said."One cann't preempt the outcome of Parliament procedure." The Congress spokesman pointed out that the Government had sought to gather inputs from all quarters in a bid to evolve a consensus on the Office of Profit issue."Until all the parties give their views on the issue and a draft is ready we have to wait(to see how the matter is resolved." The definition of Office of Profit required to be drastically changed,he felt.

UNI YS/SH RP KN1934