Opposition draws flak for revealing contents of impeachment notice

Making public the contents of a notice before it is admitted by the chair is in violation of parliamentary rules, officials said today.

This assumes significance in the wake of seven opposition parties, led by the Congress, yesterday initiating an unprecedented step to impeach Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra by moving a notice levelling charges against him.

According to the provisions in the handbook for Rajya Sabha members, no advance publicity should be given to any notice to be taken up in the House till it is admitted by the chairman.

"A notice for raising a matter in the House should not be given publicity by any member or other person until it has been admitted by the Chairman and circulated by members. A member should not raise the issue of a notice given by him and pending consideration of the Chairman," according to Rule 2.2 of Parliamentary Customs and Conventions in the handbook.

A retired Lok Sabha official said the same rule also applies to the Lower House as it is listed under rule 334A of the procedure and conduct of its business.

The notice has been referred by Naidu to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat officials, who are preparing the file and have identified this violation, the officials said.

According to a senior official in Parliament, a bulletin issued by the Rajya Sabha on December 8, 2017 reiterates the rule under parliamentary customs and conventions.

Leaders of the opposition parties had yesterday met Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, who is also the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, and handed over the notice of impeachment bearing signatures of 64 MPs and seven former members, who recently retired.