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Journalism of Courage
A week after they defied their party whips for voting on the trust motion, nine members of the Lok Sabha, eight belonging to the BJP and one to the BJD, have been served with notices by the Speaker following petitions seeking their disqualification. They are among the 24 Opposition members, who either resorted to cross-voting in favour of the Manmohan Singh Government or helped it win by abstaining from the vote.
Since disqualification of a member is a long-drawn affair, lasting over a year in some cases, it is doubtful if the proceedings initiated by the BJP and BJD against their members would be completed before the present Lok Sabha runs its full term. In fact, most rebel members are understood to have been motivated to break ranks with their party colleagues on the assumption that the anti-defection law would not catch up with them due to paucity of time. Some of them are learnt to have already been promised tickets by their new patrons in the next Lok Sabha polls.
Sources said the members who have been asked by the Speaker to respond to the complaints made by their parties within seven days are Brijbhushan Sharan Singh (Balrampur), Chandrabhan Singh (Damoh), Kunnur Manjunath Channappa (Dharwad South), Manorama Madhwaraj (Udupi), H T Sangliana (Bangalore North), Harisingh Nasaru Rathod (Yavatmal), Babubhai Katara (Dahod), Somabhai Patel (Surendranagar), all of the BJP, and Harihar Swain (Aska) of the BJD.
Once the Speaker receives the reply of a member to a complaint, he would, in case he is satisfied that there is a prima-facie case made out against him, can refer the matter to the Privileges Committee. The committee goes into the case, accords a personal hearing to the member to put forth his defence and makes a recommendation to the Speaker, who is vested with the power to take a final view.
