When we trace the evolution and development of the Indian Parliament what it is today, its history has to be traced back to the
Considering the enormity of the size of the country and the exponential growth of the Indian population, something around 35 crores in the 1950s, only age qualification was prescribed enabling an Indian citizen either to vote or contest an election. Of course, recently age qualification has been reduced from 21 to 18, making a person eligible to vote. However, till date, no educational qualification has been prescribed for a citizen of
However, with the efflux of time, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha or the Chair-person of the Rajyasabha, found it increasingly difficult to conduct the proceedings of a house or to regulate the conduct of members of parliament, when they go rampant, in these days of price rise, inflation, unemployment, labour unrest, globalization, global warming, communal riots and terrorists attacks etc, etc.Therefore a Lok Sabha committee was appointed headed by Kishore Chandra S.Deo, to recommend the types of punishments to be meted out to the members of parliament, when their behaviour inside the house is reprehensible and uncontrollable.
The Lok Sabha committee has submitted its reports on Wednesday which has recommended four types of punishments : admonish, reprimand, suspension from the house for a specified period and expulsion of a member, who was found guilty of having indulged in misconduct. Besides such a member shall not vote on a question in the house or a committee of the house, in which she or he has a direct pecuniary interest.
If the misconduct amounts to a penal offence, the house should take cognizance of the situation.
However, it is an irony to note when the questionnaire relating to the panel’s recommendations was issued to the members, only 6 out of 60 responded with.
However the panel has ruled against the codification of the parliamentary privileges, saying that the penal powers of the house for breach of privilege or contempt of the house has been, very sparingly used.
During the past five and a half decades in the Lok Sabha, there is only one case of admonition, two cases of reprimand and one case of expulsion for commission of breach of privilege and contempt of the house.
In the Rajya Sabha, there have been two cases of reprimand for commission of breach of privileges and contempt of the house. With issue of conflict of interest gaining prominence in the post-liberalisation era, it recommended a broad framework of code of conduct for members.
The code of conduct includes that members shall avoid conflict between their private interests and the public interests, furnish particulars of their interests to the Secretary General and shall not undertake any action unbecoming of MPs.
Within hours after the submission of the panel’s recommendations, in an unprecedented move, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee has referred to the privileges committee the cases of as many as 32 Lok Sabha members for their ‘disorderly conduct’ in the house.
While majority of the members belong to BJP, other members belong to Shiromani Akalidal, Shiv Sena, Biju Janata Dal,Janata Dal (united) and the BSP.The speaker referred the names of 31 members to the privileges committee in exercise of the power under Rule 227 of the rules of procedure and conduct of business in the Lok Sabha for examination, investigation and report
The speaker also referred the matter relating to the disorderly conduct of Mr.Brijesh Pathak (BSP) for investigation and report under the same rule. Interestingly, Mr.Pathak himself is a member of the privileges committee.
Mr.Vijayendra Pal Singh, among the members has to face both ethics and the privileges committee of the Lok Sabha.
The first-of-its-kind action has been taken by the Lok Sabha Speaker, since the members repeatedly had indulged in the disruption of the proceedings of the house.
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