New Delhi:
Top union ministers today began discussions on a fight-back strategy on ordinances in the budget session next month, amid questions about the government's use of its emergency powers to push changes that have not been cleared in Parliament.
Parliamentary Affairs minister Venkaiah Naidu met with Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj and Rajnath Singh to discuss how to reach out to the opposition, which has criticized a slew of ordinances issued by the government, including one that changes the rules of land acquisition.
The meeting comes a day after President Pranab Mukherjee said the government has limited powers to issue ordinances, in what was seen as a reminder to the Centre.
"The Constitution confers limited power upon Executive for Ordinances to meet exigencies," the President said while interacting with students on Monday.
Mr Mukherjee also rebuked the opposition for not allowing Parliament to function when he said, "Under no circumstances should there be disruption of proceedings...a noisy minority cannot be allowed to gag a patient majority."
In its seven months in office, the government has used the ordinance route 10 times to push key policy changes, due to its lack of majority in the upper house of Parliament or Rajya Sabha where the opposition Congress has most numbers and has led other parties in holding up proceedings on a number of issues, not allowing legislation to be passed.
After uncomfortable questions were raised, it reportedly decided not to issue any more ordinances. Two ordinances that were cleared by the cabinet will not be pursued, sources had said last week. These will be taken up as bills in Parliament instead.
The president had earlier asked three union ministers to explain the urgency on the land acquisitions ordinance before signing off on it.
The opposition says an ordinance is an emergency provision given by the Constitution that must be used sparingly. The Congress has said it will oppose the land reforms ordinance in Parliament.