Raghav Chadha said, “Let a privilege committee send me a notice and I will respond”.
New Delhi:
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has alleged fraud in a motion moved by Aam Aadmi Party’s Raghav Chadha in connection to the Delhi Services Bill. Responding to the debate in the Rajya Sabha before the bill was voted on this evening, Mr Shah said the motion has the names of five MPs that were included fraudulently and the matter needs to be investigated by parliament’s Privilege Committee. Mr Chadha sidestepped the issue, saying he would respond if the Privilege Committee sends him a notice.
The motion to send the Delhi Services Bill to Select Committee was moved by the Aam Aadmi Party MP today.
“Two MPs are now claiming that they did not second it. Sasmit Patra of the BJD said he never gave consent for inclusion in the motion. How could his name be taken,” Mr Shah said, triggering chaos in the house.
As Opposition members were on their feet shouting in protest, the minister, who introduced the Delhi Services bill in the house, said this was a matter of privilege and should be investigated by the privilege Committee.
“Four members have sent a complaint to me. It will be inquired into,” said Rajya Sabha Deputy chairman Harivansh.
The MPs are Narhani Amin, Sudhanshu Trivedi, Sasmit Patra, Thambidurai and Phangon Konyak. Sources said all five have now given individual notices of breach of privilege against Raghav Chadha.
Asked about the matter afterwards, Raghav Chadha said, “Let a privilege committee send me a notice and I will respond”.
In an exclusive interview to NDTV, Biju Janata Dal MP Sasmit Patra said, “I have given notice of privilege motion. My name was included in the motion in which Raghav Chadha proposed to send the Delhi service bill to a select committee… The names of five to six MPs were wrongly added to it… I want this matter to be investigated. Obviously, the Privileges Committee will definitely look into the matter”.
The BJD has supported the bill today along with Andhra Padesh’s YSR Congress and TDP, ensuring its smooth passage in the House.
Speaking to NDTV, Rajya Sabha MP Keshav Rao of Telangana’s ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi, said under the rules, members should be consulted before their names are included. “But this has not happened in this case. But this is not a serious matter. I was also a (Rajya Sabha) chairman,” he said.
Insisting it was been a mistake and could be solved with a simple apology, he said, “There was no need for the Home Minister to create such a commotion, standing up and speaking about it in the House. Whatever happened is wrong. But the man who was named – it was not intentional”.
The BRS has backed AAP in the matter of the bill, which was passed with 131 votes in its favour. There were 102 votes against it. Four MPs have abstained. The new law, which only requires a sign-off from the President, will empower the Central Government to control the functioning of the Delhi government by having the final say in the postings, transfers of bureaucrats and employees.
