NEW DELHI, Dec 12: An Indian TV station caused a political uproar on Monday when it broadcast images of 11 members of parliament taking cash allegedly in return for raising issues in the federal legislature.

The main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) immediately suspended six of its legislators after the video clips were shown on Aaj Tak television.

The other MPs came from the ruling Congress party and its ally, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, as well as the regional Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

Somnath Chatterjee, speaker of the 545-member elected lower house, said he was shocked by the sting, the second by Aaj Tak since May, when it trapped wardens of India’s most-guarded prison, Tihar, taking bribes.

“I am extremely scared if the allegations are correct. It is a serious matter and I am looking into it with all seriousness,” he said.

“I am making a personal request to all of those allegedly involved to please do not attend the session until the matter is looked into and a decision is taken,” he said as the scandal triggered an uproar in parliament.

Some of the legislators shown grabbing cash on camera also belonged to parliament’s prestigious upper house, the Rajya Sabha, which is nominated instead of directly elected.

Hindu nationalist leader Lal Krishna Advani said his party would take stern action against the BJP members if the allegations are true.

“It is a matter of concern for us because, while the whole country is debating probity in public life, our own MPs have been charged with showing greed for raising questions in parliament,” he said.

The BSP, too, suspended three of its MPs in connection with the broadcast.

“The party has taken the development very seriously as it is not only related to political crime but also raises question on moral corruption, and the BSP has suspended its three MPs with immediate effect from the party,” said party chief Mayawati, who uses one name.

The video comes in the wake of the resignation from the federal cabinet last week of former foreign minister Natwar Singh over allegations that he benefited from cut-rate oil vouchers under the UN oil-for-food program in Iraq.

Rashtriya Janata Dal leader and Railways Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav also said he would punish a member of his party shown stuffing wads of cash into his pockets.

“We will punish him,” said Yadav, who has been embroiled in a court case for years over charges that he siphoned off millions of dollars in funds meant to buy fodder while he was chief minister in the eastern state of Bihar. The communist allies of the ruling Congress party, which provide crucial support to the government, called for immediate action.

“We want to project a clean picture of our parliament and so these people should be punished,” said Communist Party of India leader Gurudas Dasgupta.

Aaj Tak said it floated a fictitious business forum before launching the 11-month long sting operation in April.

“The MPs took between 110,000 rupees and 10,000 rupees each to ask questions on the floor of the house,” said Aaj Tak reporter Anirudh Bahal, who posed as a businessman.

Some of the questions handed out to the 11 MPs allegedly for money were actually raised in parliament earlier this year, records show.

Narendra Kumar Kushwaha, one of the MPs shown on the video clips, said he was trapped.—AFP