SP opposes withdrawal of controversial ordinance

Lucknow/New Delhi, Oct 2: The Samajwadi Party (SP) said Wednesday that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should not withdraw the ordinance approved by the union cabinet to protect convicted lawmakers from immediate disqualification.

Rajya Sabha member and senior party leader Naresh Agarwal said if the union cabinet reverses its earlier decision to pass the ordinance, it would mean "one man's whims are bigger than democratic norms and propriety".

He pointed out the SP was all through against the Supreme Court ruling and added that it was a "conspiracy to topple the democratic order in the country".

Akhilesh Yadav refused to answer questions on the controversial ordinance.

Targeting Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, the SP leader said if the ordinance is withdrawn, it will prove that the Gandhi scion is bigger than the government of India.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav refused to answer questions on the controversy surrounding the ordinance, and told reporters that graft was a big problem in the country and people across party lines should get together to ensure clean politics.

"It is not good to point fingers at each other. We will have to admit that corruption is a big bane, and we need to weed it out," he told media persons during an event in the state capital.