BSP’s Danish Ali writes to LS Speaker Birla alleging violation of parliamentary procedures by two panels

PTI, Oct 21, 2023, 3:23 PM IST

Credit: PTI photo

New Delhi: BSP member Danish Ali has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla flagging alleged violation of parliamentary procedures by two committees, sources said on Saturday.

Referring to his notice of breach of privilege against BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri for using defamatory language against him in the Lok Sabha, Ali said the established procedure requires that the complainant member is called before the Privileges Committee first and then the accused member.

In his letter, the sources said, Ali claimed that in contravention of norms, the member who is accused of making unparliamentary remarks against him appears to have been called first.

He claimed that as the complainant, the committee is yet to call him to put forth his stand.

Ali requested Birla to direct officials to call him first before the Privileges Committee to give evidence against Bidhuri, the sources said.

Bidhuri made the controversial remarks against Ali during a discussion on the success of Chandrayaan-3 in the Lok Sabha last month.

On the other hand, Ali said, the Ethics Committee appears to have followed the proper procedure by first calling BJP MP Nishikant Dubey to give oral evidence against TMC member Mahua Moitra in the ‘cash-for-query’ scam.

Ali is a member of the Ethics Committee.

He, however, lamented that the committee chairman spoke with the media about the receipt of the affidavit filed by businessman Darshan Hiranandani, saying it was against rules.

Moitra has been at the centre of a political storm after Dubey accused the Lok Sabha member from Krishnanagar in West Bengal of taking bribes from Hiranandani to ask questions in Parliament.

The Ethics Committee has called Dubey for oral evidence on October 26.