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Friday, Dec 23, 2005

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Futile to go to privileges panel, says Sezhiyan

Special Correspondent

Somnath followed right course in constituting special inquiry committee

CHENNAI : The former Member of Parliament, Era Sezhiyan, on Thursday said it would be "futile and improper" at this stage to suggest referring the report of the Inquiry Committee of the Lok Sabha on the cash-for-questions scandal to the Privileges Committee for a final decision.

In a statement, he said Speaker Somnath Chatterjee had followed the right course in constituting the special Inquiry Committee. "It has been a well-established right of Parliament of UK and of India to punish its members for their misdemeanour, whether it takes place inside or outside the House."

In this context, Mr. Sezhiyan recalled the Mudgal case of 1951 when the then Speaker Mavalankar referred the matter to a special committee in preference to the Committee of Privileges then in existence. Mr. Mavalankar had observed: "A member may behave in a manner in which the House would not like him to behave and yet it may be argued that it is not a breach of privilege. In all such circumstances, the practice in the House of Commons has been to constitute a special committee."

Mr. Sezhiyan said though H.C. Mudgal was a member of the Congress in Provisional Parliament, the Leader of the Party, Jawaharlal Nehru, came forward to initiate inquiry and to move the resolution for expulsion of the tainted member. "At present, it is good that the parties have taken immediate action to suspend the members concerned. Party affiliations should not intervene in upholding the highest traditions of parliamentary life. Let us hope that the leaders of the parties and the House take suitable action to maintain the dignity and credibility of the House and its members in general," he added.

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