Legal experts,activists for probe into trust vote bribery scandal

New Delhi, Jul 25 (UNI) Several noted civil rights activists, legal experts and intellectuals today demanded speedy investigation into the charges of horsetrading for the vote of confidence in Parliament, won by the UPA Government.

''The admission by a TV channel that it had carried out a sting operation to record what happened with the three MPs who were allegedly offerred crores of rupees to vote in favour of the Government was a sufficient prima facie evidence to warrant probe,'' they said in a statement here.

If the charges of gratification given and taken were proved, it would constitute not only an offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act but also a breach of Privilege of the House. they said.

They cited the example of the termination of the membership of several MPs after an investigation by the privileges committee found that they had taken money for asking questions in Parliament.

''Obviously taking money for voting and abstaining is more serious breach of privilege,'' the said.

The experts demanded that the tapes of the sting operation be made public, who were entitled to know what had happened.

''It is unfortinate that the TV channel which conducted the TV operation did not air it, on a mistaken notion that it would invlove them in allegatioins or that it would constitute a breach of privilege,'' the statement said.

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