Orissa Speaker dubs SEC action ''unilateral'', amounts to privilege

Bhubaneswar, Feb 14 (UNI) Orissa Assembly Speaker Maheswar Mohanty today described State Election Commission S C Hota's order to file formal complaint against him for violation of code of conduct as ''unilateral and amounts to privilege''.

The SEC has taken an unilaterally decision when his order for a crime branch inquiry was pending investigation, Mr Mohanty told UNI over phone from Puri.

The Speaker said if any case was registered against him on the direction of the SEC, it would become a matter of privilege.

Official sources said an FIR had been lodged against the Speaker under section 188 of IPC in the Chandanpur police station last night on the direction of the SEC.

Mr Hota had asked the Puri District Collector to file a formal complaint against the speaker for violation of code of conduct for the ongoing Panchayat elections in the state.

The Speaker had taken strong exception to the SEC order directing the district magistrate to file a complaint against him and questioned on what basis did he pass such an order.

On Monday, Mr Mohanty said the SEC ordered for a Crime Branch inquiry into the incident and next day he wanted a FIR to be filed against him in the police station.

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