Governor's hasty assent to bill unfortunate: BJP

Itanagar, July 1 (UNI) Newly-appointed state BJP unit president Tapen Siga today said the Arunachal Pradesh Governor Shailendra Kumar Singh has given assent to the Arunachal Pradesh Legislature Members (Prevention of Disqualification) Act, 1977 (Amendment) Bill 2006 in ''haste.'' Mr Siga said his party would oppose this controversial act.

The state BJP had petitioned the Election Commission (EC), through the state governor in April, against the state MLAs holding an 'office of profit' in violation of constitutional provisions.

Mr Siga told newspersons here today that the 'Office of Profit' is a matter of public interest as it had affected legislators of many states and the members of Parliament.

He said that the Mr Singh should have sought presidential advice instead of approving the act.

Among the 230 MLAs throughout the country, who hit the EC list for holding 'offices of profit', 75 were from the North-East.

Out of these 75 MLAs, 25 each were from Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh, while Sikkim has 17 MLAs, Manipur six and Nagaland two.

Of the Lok Sabha members across the country, whose names appear on a separate EC list, Arunachal Pradesh MP Kiren Rijiju also finds a place.

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