President's return of office of profit bill slap on UPA: BJP

New Delhi, May 30 (UNI) The BJP today said the return the office of profit Bill by the president for reconsideration was yet another ''slap on UPA's face''.

BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said that the Election Commission should now take up all pending complaints against all MPs and MLAs and pronounce its verdict in a week's time. The UPA, he alleged, had cobbled an alliance of disparate political forces and passed this Bill just to save their chair.

President A P J Abdul Kalam had refused to give assent to and returned the Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Amendment Bill which was passed by both the Houses on May 17 during the extended budget session, objecting to its coming into force with retrospective effect.

Dr Kalam also wanted to know if the criteria used to identify the offices of profit throughout the states and Union territories were fair and reasonable.

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