Rahul defends stand on Ordinance

New Delhi: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to discuss the reasons behind his (Rahul's) outburst on the controversial ordinance to protect convicted legislators. Sources said Rahul Gandhi tried to clear the air and said he never intended to undermine the Cabinet or the authority of the Prime Minister. The remarks were personal opinion and was only echoing public sentiments, he said. With Rahul explaining his stand, the Congress Core Group will be meeting shortly to discuss the Ordinance. Reports had indicated that Singh was upset and had said that he was not the master of what people say. Singh, who returned home from the United States on Tuesday evening, went to Raj Ghat to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi -- an even that Rahul Gandhi chose to keep away. Meanwhile, senior Congress had a series of meetings with Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav who took a strident stand against withdrawing the ordinance since it had the Cabinet approval. Earlier, the PM ruled out his resignation over the issue, and indicated he would seek an explanation on the entire controversy. The Prime Minister, who seemed cornered and somewhat challenged after Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi described the ordinance as “complete nonsense” and said it -"should be torn away-", clearly signalled that he was not ready yet to throw in the towel. “There is no question of resigning. Rahul Gandhi asked me for a meeting. I will take my Cabinet colleagues into confidence,-" the Prime Minister said on board Air India One on his way home. He also tried to indicate that the last word on the ordinance might not have been said yet, as he remarked: “Let us see which way the wind blows.” On the timing of Gandhi’s outburst against the ordinance while he was out of the country, the PM quipped, “Well, I am not the master of what people say.” But despite the PM’s remarks, most leaders in the Congress feel that after Gandhi’s forceful comments, the “ordinance will be withdrawn by the government”. Dr Singh, who insisted he was “used to ups and downs, and don’t get easily upset”, then added: “These are all matters which are discussed before the highest body, the core group of the Congress. The Cabinet discussed this matter twice, not once.” But he also tried to maintain a balance, saying: “But it is always possible to change one’s mind, and I will consult my colleagues on all these issues.” At this juncture a Cabinet note prepared by the law ministry argued that “there has been a lot of public criticism that it was brought to protect convicted legislators, but that is not the case as questions on jurisprudence are also involved,” a source said. The law ministry argued: “What if a legislator convicted by the lower court is acquitted or exonerated by a higher court ”