Govt defers ordinance route on anti-graft measures

Cabinet decides quota for Jats gets nod; changes to Andhra Reorganisation Bill approved

The Union Cabinet on Sunday deferred a decision on taking the ordinance route for the anti-corruption Bills pushed by Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi. It, however, cleared reservation for the Jat community and approved changes to the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill.

Conceding the Cabinet had discussed the ordinance route for anti-corruption legislation, Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said it was felt Parliament must discuss and pass the Bills.

Tewari added the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government always acted on corruption charges and often without even waiting for judicial judgments.

The deferment shows UPA recognises there is a possibility the President of India might return the ordinances given that the Election Commission is likely to announce the poll schedule soon. Tewari was asked a pointed question about this possibility but did not answer clearly.

The decision on the division of Andhra Pradesh gives special status to Seemandhra - the region that will form the residuary state once Telangana is carved out as India's 29th state. It also clears some anomalies in the status of Bhadrachalam (which will remain with Telangana) and the division of electricity between the two states.

The numerically-strong farming community of Jats in nine north-Indian states have been demanding reservation under the other backward classes quota for some time. Jats have a strong presence in Haryana, Delhi, western Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, among the Hindi-speaking areas and Punjab.

Ahead of the Cabinet meet, Defence Minister A K Antony, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at his residence.

On Saturday, Shinde and Law Minister Kapil Sibal had met President Pranab Mukherjee, who is reportedly reluctant to sign the legislation days before the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections.

The government wanted to avoid a political backlash that could follow the ordinance route for these Bills.

"To promulgate ordinances to suit the ruling party's interests after Parliament has been adjourned on the eve of election announcement, will amount to a blatantly anti-democratic and partisan exercise," Communist Party of India (Marxist) general-secretary Prakash Karat said in a letter to the President.