Delhi Services Bill: MPs Claim Names Included In Proposed Select Committee Without Consent, Probe Ordered

Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh announced a probe into the complaints of the five MPs.

The select committee was proposed by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Raghav Chadha

Source : PTI

New Delhi: Five MPs have alleged that their names were included in a proposed select committee of the House for the Delhi services bill without their consent, reported news agency PTI.

The select committee was proposed by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Raghav Chadha to examine the Delhi services bill.

Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh announced a probe into the complaints of the five MPs - BJP's S Phangnon Konyak, Narhari Amin and Sudhanshu Trivedi, AIADMK MP M Thambidurai and BJD MP Sasmit Patra.

When asked about the matter, Raghav Chadha said, "I will give an answer to the Privileges Committee when they send a notice."

#WATCH | "I will give an answer to Privileges Committee when they send a notice," says AAP MP Raghav Chadha after four MPs claim that their names were mentioned on the proposal to send the Delhi NCT Amendment Bill to the Select Committee without their consent.

This motion was… pic.twitter.com/hTAFg26DJi

— ANI (@ANI) August 7, 2023

Speaking on the matter, M Thambidurai told ANI, "I have given a letter to the Rajya Sabha Chairman referring to the Privilege Committee as to how my name is included in the motion, as I had not signed any document. Therefore, someone may have forged my signature."

Meanwhile, Congress MP Shakti Singh Gohil told ANI, "There is a law that if I am moving (the proposal to send Delhi NCR Amendment Bill to Select Committee), there is no compulsion to take consent of the member who has to be in the Committee. If the member does not want to be on the Committee, their name will be removed automatically. There is no provision to take the signature of any member whose name has been mentioned in the proposal"

Earlier in the day, after the deputy chairman read out the names to be included in the proposed select committee, Home Minister Amit Shah informed that five members have complained that their names were included without their signatures in the proposal moved by the AAP leader and demanded that this issue be investigated, reported PTI.

Shah termed it a breach of privilege of the House and said that the matter should be referred to the privileges committee.

"Who all have signed on their behalf is a subject of investigation," Shah said and requested the Chair to record the statements of the complainant members.

Then three members, including Sasmit Patra of the BJD, M Thambidurai of the AIADMK and S Phangnon Konyak of the BJP, stood up and informed the House that their consent was not taken for the inclusion of their names in the proposed select committee.

Soon after, the deputy chairman said the complaints of the MPs will be probed, however, he did not indicate the agency for the probe and the timeframe for completing it.

Chadha's amendment to send the contentious bill to a select committee was negated by a voice vote.

The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023 seeks to replace an ordinance on the handling of transfers and postings of officials in the Delhi government.