'This Is The Right Thing To Do'

Sonia Gandhi, president, Congress: For the last two days, anatmosphere was being created by certain people in the country to project thatthe government and Parliament were being used to protect me. This hashurt me very much. I have stated it earlier also that I am in politics andpublic life not for my selfish ends. I have taken a pledge to serve the peopleof the country and to protect the secular ideals. So in keeping with my publiclife and political principles and according to my own belief, I resign as amember of Lok Sabha and chairperson of National Advisory Council. I have donethis because this is the right thing to do

L.K. Advani, former president, BJP: The course of actionadopted by the government was so outrageous that our immediate response was alsovery firm and this firm response has led to this sequence of events. The NDAwould oppose the Centre's decision to bring an ordinance for deletion of someposts from the list of office of profit in the apparent bid to protect Sonia asthere cannot be two standards on the issue, one for Jaya Bachchan and the otherfor the Congress president. Similarly, there cannot be double standards on theissue, one for Uttar Pradesh and the other for the Centre. Such a move could nothave been possible if Parliament would have been in session till May. (Onadjourning Parliament sine die). The decision to shorten the length ofthe budget session by the government was unprecedented and aimed at weakeningthe parliamentary and democratic institutions of our country.

Abhishek Manu Singhvi, spokesman, Congress: Sonia Gandhi hastoday left the BJP speechless. But the BJP practices selfish politics and henceit is not surprising that they are attributing motives to her decision toresign.

Arun Jaitley, general secretary, BJP: Politics of revenge hasrecoiled back and Sonia Gandhi has become a victim of her own conspiracy.Gandhi's plans to resign as MP and NAC chairperson may be projected as a grandstanding, but it is a case of a confession of a culprit caught red handed tryingto subvert the Constitution and Parliament. Every individual has his own case,which they should present before the Election Commission and the President. Itis for the Commission to decide. (On whether Lok Sabha Speaker SomnathChatterjee and BJP's V K Malhotra, too should step down). The whole issue (ofthe ordinance to exempt MPs holding offices of profit from disqualification) isbeing handled by the UPA government in a pathetic and ham-handed manner and theordinance is being brought to save one person.

B.B. Tandon, Chief Election Commissioner: I can only say thatthe law is equal for all. So far, the Commission has not received anyPresidential reference on Sonia Gandhi holding office of profit. If there is anycomplaint against a person holding an office of profit, the President issues anotification which is then referred to the Election Commission for verification.

Mulayam Singh Yadav, president, Samajwadi Party and UP chiefminister: The hunter has become the hunted. The person who has fired the arrowhas become its prey. All parties have united on the issue of the offices ofprofit...Democracy is being torn. There are 40 to 45 MPs who are being said tohold offices of profit but only Jaya Bachchan and Amar Singh are being targeted.It is not proper for a party having only 145 MPs to behave in an autocraticmanner.

(The Samajwadi Party's parliamentary board had earlier in the day turned downAmar Singh's offer to resign from his Rajya Sabha seat after a disqualificationpetition had been filed against him before the Election Commission for holdingan office of profit. Singh is chairman of the UP Industrial Development).

Prakash Karat, general secretary, CPI(M): Our MPs will notresign. The party will issue a statement later. (Asked to react to Sonia'sresignation). The government will not bring any ordinance on the issue of officeof profit and that Parliament will decide the matter.

Gurudas Dasgupta, senior leader, CPI: She (Sonia) should becomplimented for her action.. She has set an example. We are opposed to theordinance regarding office of profit. Such important matters should have beendiscussed in Parliament which is the supreme body to discuss public matters. Butthe government has adjourned Parliament sine die to facilitate promulgation ofthe ordinance. It was a bad precedent and against the spirit of healthyparliamentary democracy. There was the tradition of holding the budget sessionof Parliament in two phases and it was learnt that the second phase wasscheduled to be held from May 10 to May 27 next to transact important business.The present situation is serious and we are deeply aggrieved by some ofpro-capitalist policy of the government.

Jyoti Basu, veteran leader, CPI-M: Is it so? Sonia Gandhi hasresigned? Whatever is there in law will take place. I will not comment further.

D Raja, leader, CPI: But it (the resignation) does not providesolution to the current problem. As to what is office of profit has to bedefined in law as there is no clarity about it. We are not for the ordinanceroute. Parliament is empowered to decide and only it should decide.

CPI(M) politburo: Under the Constitution, Parliament is empowered todecide on the definition of 'office of profit' and to exempt any office fromdisqualifying its holder under the 'office of profit' clause.

Sitaram Yechury, politburo member, CPI-M: Parliament has tourgently and immediately take up the issue. It is up to the government to seehow they do it. Parliament will have to enact the law. Eventually, even it(ordinance) will have to come to Parliament. There is an urgent need to redefinethe 'office of profit' Act. The list cuts across all the parties, at least allthe major political parties. This is not about one party or another. This issomething that concerns the future of Parliament and democracy. The governmentcan consult political parties before taking a decision. We are prepared forconsultations," he added.

Rajnath Singh, president, BJP: We never questioned the faith ofthe people of Rae Bareli in her (Sonia). We only said it was against the dignityand decorum to hold an office of profit as a Member of Parliament. If ourallegation was wrong, she should have faced Parliament or the ElectionCommission. But since she could not muster the courage to do so, she sought todraw the curtains on misdeeds of the UPA government and divert public attentionfrom them by tendering her resignation.

We will go by the Constitution and rule of law. (On whether other 'affectedMPs', including Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, chairmanof Sriniketan-Santinikatan Development Authority, and the BJP's own V KMalhotra, former president of the All India Council ofSports, should follow suit).

Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, vice-president, BJP: Yet another drama,which is bound to flop at the box office. It is like Ramanand Sagar's 'UttaraRamayana'. While people had great respect and admiration for the serial'Ramayana', its sequel 'Uttara Ramayana' was a big flop. This drama of sacrificehas been thoroughly exposed and people are not going to buy it anymore. Why shedid not remember morality when Parliament was adjourned sine die, when theordinance was being discussed and the issue of office of profit was beingdebated. The Congress party has a tradition of finding scapegoats. If it wasNatwar Singh in the Volcker issue and Buta Singh in the Bihar issue, Gandhi hasnow sought to put the blame on the government by distancing herself from theordinance move.

Babulal Marandi, vice-president, BJP: Sonia Gandhi should haveresigned a day earlier. However, she resigned under compulsion to save herselffrom humiliation in the wake of demands for her resignation for enjoying officesof profit. Speaker Somnath Chatterjee too should resign in line with Sonia. Itwas unfortunate that Parliament was adjourned on the issue, with the Congressseeking to bring an ordinance to save Sonia Gandhi after getting scared to facethe Opposition in both the houses. The move was a severe attack on the moralityin politics.

Ram Naik, chairperson of disciplinary committee, BJP: Insteadof resorting to dramatic acrobatics, the best course would be to dissolve theLok Sabha and seek fresh mandate from the people of India. The political weaponused by Sonia Gandhi against Jaya Bachchan (chairperson of the Uttar PradeshFilm Development Council) has boomeranged. It has created an unprecedentedpolitical chaos in Indian democracy.

Mamata Banerjee, president, Trinamool Congress: I don't know.But those who violated law have to be punished. There was no way for SoniaGandhi other than resigning. Otherwise, she could have been disqualified. (Ifsine die adjournment of Parliament was a move to save someone). We have alreadymoved President A P J Abdul Kalam and the Election Commission on March eight,seeking action against 11 CPI-M MPs (including Lok Sabha Speaker SomnathChatterjee) who enjoy offices of profit. If Jaya Bachchan could be disqualified,how can they continue? They have to follow law and law is the same for everyone.

K. Yerran Naidu, parliamentary leader, TDP: The resignationamounted to admission she is holding an office of profit. She might have feltcompelled under the circumstances after our complaints to the President. Insteadof waiting for Election Commission's decision, she might have felt that it isbetter to step down. Since she has respected rule of law, we welcome it. Thishas proved that all are equal before law. It is a victory of democracy. It havebeen more graceful had she resigned earlier before the unethical decision toadjourn the Parliament sine die. Why was the House adjourned sine die yesterday?What was the motive? It was an insult to democracy as they took the decisionwithout consulting any political party. If they resign voluntarily, we welcomeit. (On whether the TDP would demand the resignation of other MPs holdingoffices of profit. The party had petitioned President Kalam on March 14 seekingdisqualification of Sonia, Union Minister T Subbirami Reddy, chairman,Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, MPs Karan Singh and Kapila Vatsayan).

Shambhu Srivastwa, spokesman, JD-U: We welcome Gandhi'sresignation. Now Karan Singh (Rajya Sabha member) should give up the post ofchairman of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR). Even Lok SabhaSpeaker Somnath Chatterjee should quit his Parliament seat. If Congress MPs wantto prove that they are ardent followers of Gandhi, they should resign and seekre-election to the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha.

Jagdish Tytler, leader, Congress: She has taken a decision withher own conscience. Nobody can dictate. She is a very strong person and a noblelady.