Return of Bill just a constitutional procedure: Congress

New Delhi, May 30 (UNI) The Congress today said the return of the Office of Profit Bill by President A P J Abdul Kalam, was a Constitutional procedure and the government would reconsider it and reply to him.

Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said ''there is nothing unconstitutional about the Bill as interpreted by the Bharatiya Janata Party.'' Denying that the return of the Bill was an embarassment to the government, he said it would reply to the President to convince him about the validity of the Bill.

''The President is well within his rights in returning the Bill...He has simply exercised his rights,'' Mr Singhvi said.

President A P J Abdul Kalam tonight returned to Parliament the Bill seeking to exempt MPs holding offices of profit, including the post of chairperson of the National Advisory Council (NAC), from disqualification under the existing law.

While refusing to give assent to the Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Amendment Bill, which was passed by both the Houses on May 17 during the extended budget session, the President objected to the Bill coming into force with retrospective effect.

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

UNI YS HS LR KP2305