Govt raps Team Anna for its criticism of Parl panel, MPs

New Delhi, Aug 20: The government today (Aug 20) came down heavily on Team Anna, saying its criticism of Parliamentary Standing Committee was a "clear case of breach of privilege" and calling MPs "thieves" is equal to casting aspersion on Parliament itself.

"The Parliamentary Standing Committee system has been evolved so that it is going to be a mini Parliament. If anybody criticises the Parliament Standing Committee, if they cast aspersions on it, it is clearly a case of breach of privilege," Minister of State for the PMO V Narayanasamy told reporters here.

"If somebody says that Members of Parliament are ''chor'', that means that they are not only casting aspersion on the MPs but on Parliament itself," he said reacting to the questions on alleged remarks against the MPs by the supporters of Anna Hazare who is spearheading a campaign against corruption.

Narayanasamy said if anybody criticises the functioning of the Standing Committee, then it is amounting to a criticism of the MPs who are sitting there in the committee and it is also "a clear case of breach of privilege".

Referring to the "several allegations" being made against the MPs, the minister also agreed with the observations that "there should be a ''Lakshman rekha'' for everybody".

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajeev Shukla also said "there should definitely be a ''Lakshman rekha'' for protest" while giving "a full freedom" to stage protest.

Asking to "respect the constitutional bodies", he said, "to insult Parliament, its standing committee and to say that all the MPs are ''chor'', then the people of the country can decide by listening to all this that who is arrogant and who is not."

PTI