BJP for amendment of Act to keep tainted people out of cabinet

New Delhi, Nov 29 (UNI) Demanding that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh provide an explanation on Shibu Soren's inclusion in the cabinet as the conviction of the JMM chief was ''no surprise'', the BJP today said it supported amendment of the relevant act to keep people facing criminal charges out of the ministry.

BJP Parliamentary Party Spokesperson Sushma Swaraj told newspersons here that Parliament and the nation had a right to know why Soren was included in the cabinet when a criminal case was pending against him. ''The Prime Minister should explain Soren's induction in the union cabinet.'' ''Having inducted such a person into the cabinet, it would have been better if Dr Singh had obtained Soren's resignation in advance so that the country did not face the embarrassment of a minister arrested straight from Court after the verdict,'' she said.

Ms Swaraj said the BJP would extend its support to the government when a reporter brought to her notice the statement of Law Minister H R Bhardwaj that the government was willing to amend the Representatives of People's Act (RPA) to keep out ministers facing grave charges.

She said the Opposition had forewarned the Government and President A P J Abdul Kalam about such a scenario when Soren was inducted into the cabinet. ''It comes as no surprise to us because they are reaping what they have sown and they can't hope to get anything better,'' she added.

She claimed the Government ''was not aware'' of the of the court judgement involving its own minister and Home Minister Shivraj Patil had no inkling that his colleague had been convicted when the issue figured in Rajya Sabha last evening.

Ms Swaraj said it was important that Dr Singh explain to the nation the ''ignominious saga'' of Soren tendering his resignation through a Jail Superintendent. ''The incident had made India and its democracy a laughting stock and the Prime Minister owed a responsibility to explain because he took him into the Cabinet.'' The BJP Spokesperson said that it was wrong to draw parallels between the ministers in the previous NDA government and the UPA government. The people who faced criminal charges were scrupulously kept out of the government, she added.

Senior BJP leader L K Advani had then publicly vowed not to enter even the precincts of Parliament until he was cleared of 'Havala' charges and did not contest elections, Ms Swaraj pointed out.

However, when asked about the Ayodhya case, she said the NDA allowed then ministers like Mr Advani, Dr Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti to continue because the cases against them were ''political'' and not involving murder or corruption.

''When Dr Joshi tendered his resignation after a chargesheet was filed against him, the party had rejected it on the same ground,'' Ms Swaraj added.

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