Karthikeyan criticizes amendment, calls it unconstitutional

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The new Devaswom Board ordinance is creating a controversy within the UDF as the Speaker has made it clear that the constitutional rights of an MLA cannot be denied through an ordinance.
The new ordinance stipulates that only the Hindu MLAs who have taken oath in the name of God will have the right to elect the devaswom board members.
The MLAs who have taken the ‘solemn oath’ will be deprived of their voting rights. However, the government has made it clear that these MLAs will have to submit affidavits stating they are believers to vote.
When asked whether the government can bring out such an ordinance restricting the powers of MLAs, Speaker G Karthikeyan said, "the constitutional rights of an MLA cannot be restricted or denied through an ordinance." However, he was not ready to comment on the new Devaswom Board ordinance.
"The ordinance will be discussed in the Assembly since all ordinances have to come before the House if it has to be made into a law. I am not ready to comment on the legal sanctity of the said ordinance," said the Speaker. The Assembly has the responsibility to pass the ordinances and it is the government which decides the priority of the ordinances to be taken up before the House for discussions, he added.
Meanwhile, the said ordinance has started triggering a controversy within the Congress.
Chief minister Oommen Chandy has now said that the government would seriously consider the representation of women members in the board. "If the ordinance is anti-constitutional then it would not stand legally," said Chandy on the criticisms levelled against the ordinance.