YSRCP demands tough anti-defection law

Hyderabad, June 18: Welcoming the remark of Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on the need to strengthen the anti-defection law, YSR Congress has said that an ordinance to that effect should be passed immediately to safeguard parliamentary democracy.

'It was very wise on part of senior parliamentarian and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs to say that the membership of the defectors should be cancelled immediately and as our leader YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had earlier pointed out the power to disqualify such turncoats should lie with the Election Commission and not the Speaker,' party leader Bhumana Karunakar Reddy told reporters here on Saturday.

The Union Minister had said that defectors have been mocking at democracy by switching sides and this practice is very bad. Any defector should be immediately disqualified and the law should be strengthened, he opined.

YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had earlier given representations to the Lok Sabha Speaker, Union Home Minister and others seeking disqualification of the defectors and had also demanded that the power of disqualifying defectors should be with the Election Commission and not with the Speaker, who always happens to be member of the ruling party.

Since the union minister for Parliamentary Affairs had expressed the view, an ordinance strengthening the anti-defection law should be brought in immediately and the Act can be amended in the ensuing session, he said.

He also took objection the remarks of Chief Minster that there is need to rear more children and said he has been incoherent of late.

The law and order situation has worsened in the state and crime against SCs and STS were on the rise, he said.