)
The paid news issue was raised in the Lok Sabha today by a BJP member who sought immediate disqualification of any member convicted of such malpractices, days after the Election Commission slapped a notice on former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan.
Raising the matter during the Zero Hour, Kirit Somaiya said the poll panel had served a notice on paid news to an elected representative and urged the government to consider it as it had "adversely affected" the poll process.
The issue was raised two days after the EC slapped a show-cause notice on Chavan, a Congress member of the House, for failing to lodge his election expenses as an MLA in a paid news case and asked him why he should not be disqualified.
Somaiya alleged that a lot of money was being spent on publishing advertisements and paid news by some candidates and those who do so "should be disqualified promptly."
"Urgent action is required to deal with such cases," the BJP member from Mumbai Northeast said.
