Author:
Publication: The New Indian Express
Date: June 9, 2004
URL: http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEH20040608140145&Page=H&Title=Top+Stories&Topic=0&
Congress President Sonia Gandhi,
who has been appointed as the UPA Chairperson, will have the powers to
call for files from any Ministry, now that she has been given the status
of a Cabinet rank.
In an exclusive interview to this
website's newspaper, Union Law Minister H R Bharadwaj denied that Sonia
Gandhi was an extra- constitutional authority. He said that this was the
real purpose of conferring on her the Cabinet rank so that no one objected
to her accessing the files.
Explaining her new role as the UPA
Chairperson, he stated that Sonia Gandhi alone has the responsibility of
coordinating with the alliance partners and to ensure the implementation
of the CMP as the UPA Chairperson. "If the Left parties or any of the allies
are dissatisfied over the implementation of the CMP, she can ask for the
files relating to that particular Ministry."
Bharadwaj felt that there was nothing
wrong in appointing her the chairperson of the UPA as she alone was responsible
for the victory of the Congress. "It is she who brought the party to power
and is the only unifying force in the party," he remarked.
Denying that there are two power
centres, the Law Minister said that while Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
will run the Government, it will be Sonia Gandhi as the UPA Chairperson
who will discharge the overall responsibility of running the Coalition
in her capacity as the UPA Chairperson.
Talking about the Ayodhya cases
where former Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani and Union Minister Murli
Manohar Joshi and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharati were charge-sheeted
for the demolition of the Babri mosque, Union Law Minister H R Bharadwaj
stated that the Manmohan Singh Government will "pursue the Ayodhya case
vigorously."
He also said that,"We will fight
the Ayodhya case in the court of law and set right the distortions." He
said that the revision petition is pending in the Lucknow bench of the
Allahbad High Court and the writ petition is pending in the Supreme Court.
"We will ensure that the matters pending in various courts are expedited,"
he remarked.
Talking about the tainted Ministers,
the issue on which the Opposition is boycotting both the Houses of Parliament,
the Union Law Minister said that the Manmohan Singh Government attaches
great importance to probity in public life. It is for this reason that
they had raised the issue for the removal of former Union Defence Minister
George Fernandes and former BJP President Bangaru Laxman when their involvement
was nailed in the Tehelka tapes.
George Fernandes who had resigned
in the wake of the Tehelka expose was re-inducted by former Prime Minister
Atal Behari Vajpayee even before the inquiry commission set-up for this
purpose had submitted its report. Similarly, he gave the instances of Uma
Bharati who has been made Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and former Punjab
Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal, who is facing corruption charges.
According to the Union Law Minister,
he was not averse to framing a uniform law which could be applicable to
all the persons cutting across party lines. "To have different set of rules
for yourself and different for us, is unjustified," Bharadwaj remarked.
He also expressed the view that
the Opposition was targeting RJD leader and Union Railways Minister Laloo
Prasad Yadav only because he has returned victorious and defeated his detractors
in Bihar.
The Union Law Minister finds no
reason why the new Government should continue with the fast track courts.
"When the track is old, how can you term it as fast track?" asked Bharadwaj.
He said that the need of the hour was to increase the number of judges
in the regular courts and expedite the cases. Instead of re-employing old
and retired judges, it is better to appoint and promote judges in the regular
courts and increase the manpower.
Bharadwaj accused his predecessor
Arun Jaitley of spending his time in the "India Shining campaign" instead
of filling-up the vacancies in courts. He has left 300 vacancies in the
courts, stated the Union Law Minister.
