NEW DELHI: The CPI (M) on Friday said the issue of whether a Member of Parliament was holding an office of profit or not should be decided by the legislature and the Election Commission should do so only at the time of polls.

The Joint Committee on Offices of Profit, comprising members of both Houses, has notified posts that do not fall in this category, CPI (M) leaders Mohammed Salim and Basudeb Acharia said. He said the Joint Committee would sort out the matter like how Parliament set up a special panel on the cash-for-query scam or the MPLADS scandal.

No exhaustive list

The leaders were reacting to the disqualification of Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan. Mr. Salim said as there was no exhaustive list of such posts, the Joint Committee looked at cases on the basis of "whether the spirit of the law is being violated or not."

He said this could be invoked when an MP or legislator held an office of profit but did not take any salary or perks.

In Ms. Bachchan's case, the CPI (M) leaders said the matter was between the President and the Election Commission, "though it should have been decided by the poll panel at the time of her election."

Debate on privatisation

With Parliament due to go into recess next week, Mr. Acharia demanded a debate on the privatisation of the Delhi and Mumbai airports and the issue of FDI in retail.

He said the party had given notices to discuss the issue through a calling attention.

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