'Could have been handled better'

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and heavy industries minister Praful Patel on Saturday termed the controversy around Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's public criticism of the government's Ordinance to give relief to convicted lawmakers "embarrassing".

"I think the way events have come out is very... embarrassing. It could have been handled in a better way,"he said.

On the sidelines of the Calcutta Chambers of Commerce's annual general meeting here. NCP, a is key constituent of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre.

On Friday, making a surprise brief appearance at a meet-the-press programme, Gandhi had said the Ordinance that seeks to overturn a Supreme Court ruling disqualifying convicted lawmakers should be "torn up and thrown away".

"I personally think whatever the government is doing on this ordinance is wrong," Gandhi said, adding his personal opinion about the Ordinance was that "it's a complete nonsense".

According to Patel, it is now left to the Cabinet and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take a call on this. "The onus lies with the Congress who heads the coalition. The Cabinet had taken the decision and only the Cabinet can reverse the decision."

He said all political parties almost unanimously had agreed upon the Bill to be brought under discussion during the monsoon session or send it to the standing committee.

The Ordinance, pending with President Pranab Mukherjee at present, may die a natural death with the prime minister indicating from Washington that the Cabinet would discuss and review the matter upon his return next week.