Black sheep tarnishing Parliamentarians image: Atwal

Una, Apr 5 (UNI) Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal today said the greatest danger to democracy was from corrupt practices by parliamentarians and not from diverse political ideologies.

''The corrupt practices being practised by a few of the members had lower the head over every Parliamentarian,'' he said at an informal press meet here.

Replying to a question on the cash for query scam, Mr Atwal said there was a black sheep in every profession and avocation, including the politics.

''This does not mean that all of us are corrupt. Many among us are still honest.'' Mr Atwal said, like all other parliamentarians, he too was of the view that the Lok Sabha Speaker should not receive notice from the Supreme Court.

''The Speaker is the senior most member of the Legislature and he should not receive the summons, he should not appear in the court on his official capacity and should not even depute a counsel to appear on his behalf in the Court,'' he said.

The Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker clarified that the MPs accused under the cash for query scam were disqualified by the Parliament and not by the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker.

UNI AS DP LS BS2138