(Repeating with corrections in para 2)

New Delhi, July 24 (UNI) The BJP, the major opposition party in Parliament, has proposed to the Government that they would support the passage of Office of Profit Bill unanimously only if it proposed an one time exemption for holders of such posts and strictly ensured that the MPs and MLAs will not hold these posts in future.

Deputy leader of the BJP in Rajya Sabha Sushma Swaraj told newspersons here that the proposal to this effect was made to the delegation of UPA ministers consisting of Defence Minister Pranab Kumar Mukherjee, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi rpt Dasmunsi and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Suresh Pachauri when they called on Leader of Opposition L K Advani last night.

The leaders were told about the NDA's proposed meeting with President A P J Abdul Kalam and also the possibility of the returned Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Amendment Bill 2006 not standing the judicial scrutiny because it has been passed with retrospective effect. "It will not be possible for us to support the Bill in its present form and we will also seek a division during the voting. The ministerial delegation told us that they would inform us if the government will come out in any other form", Mrs Swaraj said.

She said the NDA would also demand that MPs who seek to gain from this Bill should withdraw from the House when the voting takes place as they stand to gain from the vote. This demand would in effect put pressure on Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee too because he heads Shanti Niketan Board, an office sought to be exempted under the purview of Offices of Profit amendment.

She said the NDA would support the Bill if it is for one time exemption and it would also send the right kind of message to the people that the MPs and MLAs were not out to grab offices of profit and such a measure would not invite disqualification or cause any byelections. The NDA also offered the services of former Law Minister Arun Jaitley who would help to draft the Bill in 48 hours if necessary.

About the NDA demanding that the President refer the issue to the Supreme Court for its advisory opinion under Article 143 of the Consitution, she said NDA firmly believed that the President could seek the advice from the Court if the government were to contend that the President can seek advice only from the Council of Ministers.

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