Cash-for-vote: BJP to file complaint with Speaker

New Delhi, Jul 25: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will file a complaint with Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, alleging that Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh had offered bribe to three of its MPs for abstaining themselves during the trust vote in the Lok Sabha on July 22.

The Lok Sabha Secretariat on Wednesday, July 24 night asked the three MPs - Ashok Argal, Mahaveer Bhagora and Faggan Singh Kulaste - to present their version officially to take the case forward, official sources said. On Wednesday, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee had said that nobody would be spared if found guilty.

After the incident, a meeting of all party leaders was called by Speaker in his chamber. In the presence of leaders of other parties and Leader of the Opposition L K Advani, Somnath made it clear that he wanted a formal written complaint. This was agreed upon. He also told Advani that he disapproved of the manner in which cash was displayed, bringing disrepute to Parliament as a whole.

Earlier on the day of trust vote BJP claimed that its three MPs were offered three crore rupees each and were handed over a total of one crore rupees in advance.

The video tapes handed over to the Speaker"s office by CNN IBN on Wednesday, July 23 evening have been kept in safe custody of the Lok Sabha Secretary-General. Sources said that it was up to the Speaker to initiate action. The normal procedure involves setting up of a parliamentary committee to look into the matter

Sources in the Lok Sabha said that “the criminal offence in the case would have to be dealt with by police — as has happened in the human trafficking case involving now expelled BJP MP Babubhai Katara — but the issues of privilege would be dealt with by the parliamentary committee."

OneIndia News