Centre justifies expulsion of MPs in cash for query scam

New Delhi, Sep 14 (UNI) Conduct of the petitioners involved in the ''cash for query'' scam was an affront to the dignity of the House and therefore their expulsion was fully justified, senior counsel T R Andhyarujina appearing for the Centre told the Supreme Court today.

Andhyarujina also told the constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal that the petitioners who include 10 members of the Lok Sabha and one member of the Rajya Sabha, had by their conduct made themselves unfit to be a member of the House.

Supporting the stand taken by the Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee that the action of the House was not subject to judicial scrutiny, counsel for the Central Government further contended that even the Canadian Supreme Court has expressed similar views and the Parliament has unfeterred power to discipline its members.

He further contended that expulsion power was an incident of the right of the House of Commerce in England to regulate its own affairs arising from the fact that the house is invested with the exclusive power of regulating procedures and adjudging matters within its walls and the Indian Parliament also has the same powers.

The petitioners are Dr Chatrapal Singh Lodha, Raja Rampal, Suresh Chandel, Pradeep Gandhi, Yashwant Giridhar Mahajan, Anna Saheb M K Patil, Chandrapal Singh, Manoj Kumar, Ramsewak Singh, Lal Chandra Kol and Swami Sakshiji Maharaj.

Ten Lok Sabha members were expelled by the Speaker on December 23, 2005 after they were caught on camera taking bribe for raising questions in parliament during a sting operation by a private TV news channel. According to the petitoner, Speaker does not have the power to expell a sitting member of the house.

The arguments will continue on Tuesday. The other judges on the bench are Justices K G Balakrishnan, C K Thakkar, R V Ravindran and D K Jain.

UNI AKS/SC LL KN1958