Rahul Gandhi attacks ordinance, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar elated

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today supported Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi's attack on the controversial ordinance against disqualification of convicted lawmakers and said the Bill should have been passed in Parliament after debate.

"He (Rahul Gandhi) has spoken the right thing," Nitish Kumar told reporters who sought his reaction to the Congress Vice-President's comment that the ordinance should be "torn up and thrown away".

Nitish Kumar said bringing an ordinance from the "backdoor" to protect convicted lawmakers from immediate disqualification was not warranted. Since opinion on the subject was divided, a comprehensive debate should have been held in the Lok Sabha before the Bill is passed.

Opinion of all parties should be taken before passing the Bill, Nitish Kumar added.

On the Supreme Court holding that citizens have the right to cast negative votes rejecting candidates contesting polls, Nitish Kumar said he would comment only after reading the judgment.

Nitish Kumar, however, added that during 1974's JP movement the citizens right to recall an elected representative was propagated.