Stung, RS suspends BJP MP

Though formed in 1997, the Ethics Committee has never before looked at a specific case of ‘‘such magnitude and seriousness’’, said CPM’s Nilotpal Basu, one of the members of the committee. On its way to submit its fifth report end of this week, the Rajya Sabha Ethics Committee’s main contribution has been the formualtion of the 14-point Code of Conduct.

It is on the basis of this ‘Code’ that the cash-for-question sting would be probed and punishment meted out by both the Committees—the Rajya Sabha’s Ethics Committee and the Lok Sabha Select Committee constituted by the Speaker yesterday. The Lok Sabha’s Ethics Committee, chaired by former Prime Minister Chandrashekhar, is yet to formulate its own rules.

The Fifth Clause of the Code of Conduct clearly states: ‘‘Members should never expect or accept any fee, remuneration or benefit for a vote given or not given by them on the floor of the House, for introducing a Bill, for moving a resolution or desisting from moving a resolution, putting a question or abstaining from asking a question or participating in the deliberations of the House or a Parliamentary Committee’’.

The Upper House today suspended Singh—a decision which was greeted with thumping of desks by all members cutting across party lines—based on the preliminary report of the Committee chaired by Karan Singh. The report noted that one of the members shown in the video footage accepting money was, indeed, Chhattrapal Singh of the Rajya Sabha.

It also said that ‘‘since the member was caught on tape accepting money for asking questions, the committee unanimously recommends’’ that the member should be suspended from the House till the final report is presented, Dr Karan Singh said. ‘‘The committee took serious note of the situation arising out of the telecasting of the programme which has damaged the image of Parliament and brought this august institution into disrepute.” added.