With the Opposition parties rubbishing AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s outburst against the ordinance to protect legislators, the BJP on Thursday advised Dr Singh to quit if he had any self-respect. Taking a dig at what Mr Gandhi said at a news conference, senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley said it was a “belated realisation of nonsense” and that those responsible in the government for the ordinance should resign. The Trinamul Congress’ Saugata Roy said the young leader’s attack was an “orchestrated” move and demonstrated confusion within the Congress, while CPI’s Gurudas Dasgupta said it was “most belated”. The CPI(M)’s Brinda Karat wondered why Mr Gandhi was reacting after so many days, when the ordinance was already before President Pranab Mukherjee. The ordinance is aimed at circumventing a Supreme Court order that automatically disqualifies convicted legislators. “If Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has any self-respect left then I think he should call it a day because the supercop who can correct the system has arrived on the scene,” said BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi. “The country is waiting to see whether the Prime Minister has any self-respect left ... Whether he accepts this compliment of being called nonsense or does he react for the honour of his own government,” Mr Jaitley said when asked whether Mr Gandhi’s statement is seen as a political gimmick. Noting that the young leader’s attack is a “desperate damage-control” exercise, Mr Jaitley said it’s only when the “revulsion has built that the Congress party is trying to cut its losses”. Another senior BJP leader, Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, said the Congress has plotted an “escape route” after committing a “blunder” while another BJP leader, Mr Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, asked, “Is this a government or a theatrical production ” Meanwhile, the Prime Minister’s former media adviser, Dr Sanjaya Baru, suggested Dr Singh should resign in the wake of Mr Gandhi’s “insubordination” in attacking him on the issue of the ordinance. “Enough is enough. The Prime Minister should quit. This (Mr Gandhi’s statement) is insubordination because the manner in which it was done, calling the Cabinet decision nonsense and should be torn up and thrown away,” Dr Sanjaya Baru said in his reaction.
