[Reader-list] Acceptance of "Order of Leopold" By Sonia

[Murali V]

Brief from the article "Election Commission - A star chamber of India?" by V
Sundaram, which apperaed in the News Today a daily eveninger. Ref :
http://newstodaynet.com/col.php?section=20&catid=33&id=16471

Sonia Gandhi received the ‘*Order of Leopold’*, the second highest civilian
award in Belgium during her visit there in November, 2006.

*The controversy regarding the disqualification of Sonia Gandhi arose out of
a petition filed by Rajan, **a public spirited lawyer from Kochi**, who had
sought the disqualification of Sonia under Article 102(1) (d) of the
Constitution for accepting the 2nd highest Belgian honour from the hands of
the Belgian King.* This Article clearly states that anybody who owes
allegiance to the Constitution of another country should be disqualified
from the membership of Parliament. In his petition to the President of India
and the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, he had stated that he found to his shock,
and dismay, that the *Order of Leopold* was no ordinary paper but a special
title that demanded *‘devotion’* and *‘loyalty’* to the King and the State
of Belgium in return from the person honoured with the title. By accepting
this award, Sonia Gandhi, as a sitting MP, had violated Article 102(1) (d)
of the Constitution, she had compromised with her allegiance and loyalty to
India and therefore stood disqualified to function as a Member of
Parliament.Thus Rajan concluded that Sonia Gandhi accepting this award
amounted to her owing her allegiance to the Constitution of Belgium and not
India.

N Gopalaswami, who demittied office on *Monday, 20 April 2009*, is reported
to have taken the view that there was need for further enquiry to go into a
complaint against Sonia Gandhi receiving the ‘*Order of Leopold’*, the
second highest civilian award in Belgium during her visit there in November,
2006. This reasonable stand taken by an upright civil servant with
unquestioned and unimpeachable integrity like N Gopalaswami, has been
overruled by the Election Commission (EC) by a majority opinion. By a 2-1
vote, Election Commissioners Navin Chawla and SY Quraishi have overturned
Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami’s view that an enquiry is
necessary to go into the complaint against Sonia. These two Election
Commissioners–known and planted political representatives of Sonia Gandhi
and her Congress Party in the Election Commission--are understood to have
recommended that the enquiry against Sonia Gandhi was complete and no
further action was called for.

Jai Hind.