Date:26/08/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/08/26/stories/2006082620291600.htm

National

Withdraw court petition first, expelled MPs told

Special Correspondent

House expelled them following a cash-for-questions sting operation

Decision taken at a meeting of party leaders on Friday

No promise of a favourable review given: Dasmunsi

NEW DELHI: The 10 Lok Sabha MPs expelled by the House on December 23 last year following the cash-for-questions sting operation have been told that there was no question of considering a review of their case, unless they withdrew their petition in the Supreme Court challenging the decision.

This was decided at a meeting of party leaders on Friday. Though Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee attended the meeting, he left the room when the matter came up for discussion.

Explaining his action later at the customary end-session briefing, he said: "I wanted to be kept out of the discussion as I may have to take a decision on the issue at a later date."

A group of seven expelled MPs have been petitioning various leaders for the last two months to consider taking them back as members of the Lok Sabha. Some of them have been landing at the residences of Ministers as early as 6.30 a.m.

Mr. Chatterjee and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi at separate press conferences said the expelled MPs have been told that only after they withdraw their petitions in court, parties "could consider" setting up a "review committee."