'Revocation of MPs's expulsion possible'

New Delhi, Aug 25: A review committee of Parliament could be formed to recommend revocation of the expulsion of 10 MPs, caught on the camera in the 'Cash for Query' scam, if a petition challenging the expulsions in the Supreme Court was withdrawn, Parliamentary Affairs Minister P R Dasmunsi said today.

Briefing media persons on the conclusion of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, he said that following a letter sent to Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee by BJP's deputy leader in the Lok Sabha leader V K Malhotra, leaders from both the NDA and the UPA had met the Speaker. At the meeting, all sides felt that since a petition challenging the expulsions of MPs was already pending in the Supreme Court, it was not possible to consider revocation of the expulsions.

''However, it was suggested that if the petition was withdrawn from the Supreme Court, the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs could then hold consultations with leaders of various political parties to consider forming a review committee which could then go into the entire question so as to recommend the procedure for revocation of the expulsions,'' Mr Dasmunsi said.

The review committen would then submit its recommendation to the Lok Sabha before the commencement of the Winter Session when the Lower House would take the final decision, he said.

The Minister clarified that the issue of revocation of the expulsion of 10 MPs came up after the affected MPs met him several times with their request for revocation of their expulstion. It was then suggested that Prof Malhotra write to the Speaker in this regard. ''Today's meeting with the Speaker followed Prof Malhotra's letter addressed to him in this regard,'' he added.

UNI