New Delhi

BSP members walk out of Lok Sabha

NEW DELHI: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) members walked out of the Lok Sabha on Tuesday in protest against Speaker Somnath Chatterjee’s decision to treat as “closed” Unnao member Brajesh Pathak’s allegation that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) tried to coerce him into voting for the government during the trust vote.

Mr. Pathak informed the House that a person claiming to be a CBI official asked him to vote for the government or risk action against his leader, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, ahead of the trust vote on July 22. He also alleged that the ‘official’ handed him some documents.

The Speaker said the CBI examined these documents and said in its report that the contents were modified with “obliterations, interpolations and fabrication.” The CBI said there was absolutely no question of its Director deputing anyone to visit members of Parliament with these documents to influence their voting.

“In view of the averments made in the factual report of the CBI, which is necessarily a confidential document, and also in view of the fact that the issues and documents in question relate to proceedings pending in different Courts, including the Supreme Court, and as such are sub judice, I am of the view that the matter be treated as closed,” the Speaker said in his ruling.

Mr. Pathak urged the Speaker to consider referring the matter to the Privileges Committee of the House. At first, Mr. Chatterjee allowed him to make this intervention – but only after reminding him that the rules do not allow a discussion on the Speaker’s ruling. But Mr. Pathak, who got some help from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) benches, did not agree to this.

Stating that a bad precedent was being set, the Speaker then struck out Mr. Pathak’s entire intervention from the records and asked Basudeb Acharia (CPI-M) to raise his issue. Through the din, Mr. Acharia could be heard referring to the attacks on minorities across the country. But as his party colleague Mohammad Salim and Mr. Pathak continued with their heated interventions, the Speaker adjourned the House half-an-hour in advance for lunch.

When the House met post-lunch, other BSP members joined Mr. Pathak and walked into the Well of the House protesting the Speaker’s decision and then walked out stating that they were boycotting the proceedings.

Earlier in the morning, the Lok Sabha was adjourned within five minutes of its convening as members sought to raise different issues simultaneously.

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