Don't bypass cabinet again, warns President as Modi reroutes Enemy Property Act ordinance

The Cabinet on 31 August gave post-facto approval to promulgation for the fourth time of an ordinance to amend the nearly five-decade old Enemy Property Law to guard against claims of succession or transfer of properties left by people who migrated to Pakistan and China after wars.

"Cabinet today gave post facto approval to repromulgation of the Ordinance," Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told reporters after the Cabinet meeting.

On 30 August, President Pranab Mukherjee issued a word of caution to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after he signed an ordinance amending the Enemy Property Act, asking him to not bypass the cabinet ever again.

Also read - Cabinet gives post-facto approval to re-promulgation of Enemy Property ordinance

According to NDTV, the President was upset that the ordinance was not routed through the Cabinet before being sent to him. This is the first time in the history of independent India that an ordinance has been sent to the President without the cabinet first clearing it.

Pranab Mukherjee told the government that he was signing the ordinance in the interest of public good though the Cabinet had been bypassed.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi used Rule 12 of business and transactions to send to the President the ordinance, which amends the Enemy Property Act, a 48-year-old law to guard against claims of succession or transfer of properties left by people who migrated to Pakistan or China after wars, said the report.

The Lok Sabha had passed a bill to amend the act earlier this year, but opposition parties want it reviewed and have stalled it in the Rajya Sabha, where the government is in a minority. Hence, the only option left for the government was to keep issuing ordinance after ordinance.

The government is in a hurry as the earlier ordinance lapses this Sunday, said the report.

--PTI