Friday, March 24 2006 13:23 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Asking the Government to speedily decide on the 'office of profit' issue, the CPI(M) today(Mar 24, 2006) said the post of Chairperson of the National Advisory Commitee, from which Congress President Sonia Gandhi resigned, was not such an office.

"The post of Chair of the NAC cannot be termed an 'office of profit'. MPs have to discharge various public responsibilities by holding such positions," the party Polit Bureau said in a statement here.

Observing that Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee was the Chairman of Sriniketan-Shantiniketan Development Authority for the past 17 years, the CPI(M) said, "The demand for his resignation is baseless as it cannot be termed an office of profit".

Reiterating its stand that the issue "Must be clarified and necessary legislative action taken by Parliament itself without recourse to the ordinance route", the party asked the government to expeditiously resolve the matter in consultation with all parties so that 'appropriate legislation can be brought in Parliament when it is convened'.

It said the Congress President had resigned her Lok Sabha seat in response to the BJP and Opposition charge that she was holding an office of profit but the post of chief of NAC cannot be termed such, it added.