Author:
Publication: The New Indian Express
Date: June 10, 2004
URL: http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEH20040609144143&Page=H&Title=Top+Stories&Topic=0&
Former Union Law Minister Arun Jaitley
has challenged the right given to Congress President Sonia Gandhi to access
all the Government files.
Reacting to the report published
in this website's newspaper, Jaitley said, "Sonia Gandhi has not taken
oath of secrecy and therefore she cannot be privy to such information.
He said that she was not accountable to Parliament.
Jaitley said that to call the files
of the Ministers would diminish the role of the Prime Minister. "The consequences
are going to very scary," he remarked.
He also joined issue with the Law
Minister saying that it will be violation of the Official Secrets Act if
the files are shown to the Congress President. He said that the Ministers
were bound by the oath of secrecy not to show such documents to any one
else. It will undermine not only the Prime Minister's post but also the
role of Parliament.
Reacting to the story, BJP spokesperson
Vijay Kumar Malhotra stated that it would be violation of all norms if
Congress President Sonia Gandhi is shown the official files. "It will be
unconstitutional, illegal and against all norms," he remarked.
He also said, showing the official
files to Sonia Gandhi who has not taken an oath of secrecy, will be a violation
of the Official Secrets Act, Transaction of Business Rules, and Allocation
of Business Rules. He said that not only Sonia Gandhi but the person who
would be showing the files to her would also be committing an illegal act.
According to the him, a Minister
cannot see other Minister's files. Only Prime Minister has the authority
to see the files.
He said that the BJP was not questioning
the decision of the Manmohan Singh Government in conferring Sonia Gandhi
the Cabinet rank but to show her the official files was illegal.
Malhotra, however, questioned the
decision of Sonia Gandhi to accept the rank of Cabinet Minister after having
refused the post of Prime Minister. He wondered as to what happened to
her act of renunciation. She owes it to the country to explain about her
inner voice on her refusing the post of Prime Minister but however accepting
the Cabinet rank.
He also objected the creation of
a super power centre in the Manmohan Singh government. He wondered as to
how many power centres were at work in the present government. First was
the office of Sonia Gandhi and secondly, the Left parties etc. "So many
power centres are belittling the Prime Minister's post," he remarked.
Malhotra stated that the authority
of the Prime Minister was in question. Politicians and bureaucrats are
now going to Sonia Gandhi instead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
