BJP seeks concrete proposals on office of profit Bill

If the ruling Congress was expecting useful suggestions from the Opposition for bringing in a Bill to define offices of profit, the BJP's reply to Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee' letter on the issue would surely scotch that hope.

According to leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Jaswant Singh, he has replied to Mukherjee's letter on the issue.

"The essence of my reply to the leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha is that till the government first comes up with a firm commitment on the provisions of the Bill, how can the Opposition offer any commitment to support such an endeavour," he said.

Mukherjee had written to leaders of all political parties in Parliament asking them three basic questions with regard to the proposed legislation on office of profit: One, whether they were willing to support a Bill on defining office of profit, without it being referred to a standing committee which would otherwise delay passage of the Bill; second, whether Opposition parties had any suggestions to make vis-a-vis the provisions of the Bill; and the last, whether the Opposition was ready to support a Bill effective with retrospective effect.

This last proviso may land the government in some trouble since it is one on which the BJP has clearly stated its opposition.