Expel MPs: Panel

The Pawan Kumar Bansal Committee probing the cash-for-questions scam has reportedly recommended the expulsion of the 10 Lok Sabha members who were indicted in the sting operation carried out by a private television channel.

The report of the committee was submitted to Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee at 4 pm today. The recommendations of the committee, however, does not mean the immediate removal of the MPs as the actual procedure for expulsion of MPs is unclear.

The Speaker is expected to table the report in the Lok Sabha tomorrow, and it may be referred to the privileges committee for further inquiry.

The 10 MPs include five from the BJP, three from the BSP, one each from the Congress and the RJD "" a former minister in the Vajpayee government, Anna Saheb MK Patil, among them.

The sting operation had been conducted by a website, cobrapost.com, run by journalist Aniruddh Bahal. It was later aired in Aaj Tak, the TV Today channel.

Bahal and his associates, Suhasini Raaj and Kumar Badal, were interviewed extensively by the Bansal panel, which included VK Malhotra (BJP), Dr Ramadoss (PMK), Mohammad Salim (CPI-M) and Ram Gopal Yadav (Samajwadi Party). The MPs too had been asked to present their cases. Most of them denied the charges and said that they had been framed.

Earlier in the day, a section of MPs demanded action against the media for "insulting" parliamentarians.

Initiating the debate in the Lok Sabha during Zero Hour, senior JD(U) leader Prabhunath Singh cited the statements of rebuttal by MPs and said that "as mediapersons used parliamentarians for commercial gains and insulted Parliament, action should be taken against them."

Mohan Singh of the Samajwadi Party, who has written a letter to the Speaker in this connection, said action should be taken against those who offered bribes to influence the MPs. The matter should be referred to the privilege committee, he demanded.

The Speaker assured the MPs that there would be "no witchhunt" against any MP and he will consider (Singh's) letter. "If there is some self-correction necessary, we will do it. At all costs, we should maintain the dignity and decorum of this House."

Meanwhile, in the wake of the latest revelations about the misuse of MPLADS, the continuation of the scheme could come under scrutiny at the dinner meeting hosted by the Speaker on Wednesday evening.

Among the invitees are Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and top leaders from other political parties.

The MPs are, however, divided on this issue. While a section of them are demanding that the scheme be scrapped, some are vehemently opposed to any such move.

The BJP parliamentary party too is divided on this issue. Opposing any proposal to scrap the scheme, BJP MP Kharabela Swain said in the Lok Sabha today that the MPLADS was "the best project".

"The senior leaders do not require MPLADS to win election as they have charisma. But we poor MPs need it. Should MPs go to the village and say we are incapable of getting even a handpump installed?" he said.

Referring to the Speaker's dinner meeting with senior party leaders over the MPLADS, Swain appealed that no action should be taken unilaterally. "If at all a decision is taken, it should be in the House."

The Speaker, however, clarified that he had nothing to do with introduction of any move to discontinue the MPLADS. "It is up to the executive...I will give my views when it is asked for."