Cabinet to decide fate of Office of Profit Bill today

As the Centre announced that the Cabinet would collectively take a decision on what to do with the Office of Profit Bill that was returned to the government by the President of India in humiliating circumstances, the blame game was on in full swing.

"We all knew that it (the Bill) was to protect individuals. So what is the point of ruing it now?" said a serving minister candidly.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met President APJ Abdul Kalam today but media advisor to the PM, Sanjaya Baru, said "tea and biscuits" were what the two discussed.

Law Minister HR Bharadwaj, who was the target of a lot of criticism in party circles for not pointing out all the legal infirmities in the Bill before bringing it to Parliament, today stoutly defended himself.

Bhardwaj told mediapersons that there was no lacunae in the Bill but since the President had returned it "we would respectfully reconsider it." Dismissing suggestions that the action of the President was a "setback" to the government, he said this was part of the democratic process, which has various checks and balances. Besides, he said, if Parliament had approved the measure in its present form, then the President would have to give his assent.

The Cabinet, he said, would decide tomorrow, whether to bring the Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Amendment Bill to Parliament in its present form or an amended form.

There is a group in government - led by the law minister - that advocates that the government should brazen it out and press ahead with the Bill in its present form, riding roughshod over the President's 'advice'.

However, pragmatists in the government argue that the government must defer to the President because the Election Commission has already begun proceedings based on several complaints, including one by Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Roy against a clutch of MPs and MLAs.

As many as 40 MPs and 200 MLAs are alleged to have violated the law of the land on offices of profit. If the petitions are cleared by the EC, these MPs and MLAs' continuance in their respective houses will be questioned. To prevent a slew of lawsuits and to give an impression of fairmindedness, the President's objections have to be taken on board, this group argues.

Bharadwaj has submitted a note to the PM on why the current Bill must be re-presented to the President. However, the PM is making independent enquiries to find out if the other option - incorporating some of the suggestions of the President that the office of profit law must be countrywide - is tenable and sustainable.

The law minister told mediapersons that given the federal nature of the Indian Constitution, the state governments cannot be bulldozed into passing laws that they don't think are necessary.