The BJP on Tuesday said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has to take a call on whether he should continue in office without any “serious legitimacy” or quit after Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi “rubbished” the ordinance on convicted lawmakers.
“The Prime Minister’s post is an institution. We also criticise the Prime Minister when we are not in agreement with him. But when his own party starts rubbishing him then the office he holds suffers a highly adverse impact,” said Arun Jaitley.
However, when asked if he feels the Prime Minister should resign, he was evasive and said Dr. Singh has to take a call.
“It is for the Prime Minister to decide how he would like history to judge him.... that he continued in office without any serious legitimacy?” he said.
Mr. Jaitley also found fault with the government going ahead with the ordinance despite public sentiments being against it.
“There was no political thinking behind the ordinance. The country was not happy with it. Government should have read the pulse of the people and backtracked,” Mr. Jaitley said.
He ridiculed the Congress saying that in a dynastic institution like the ruling party the family is above the PMO, the party itself and Parliament.
“For a member of the family to say I have the veto... In a structured party this does not happen.”
