India sacks 11 MPs in bribery scam

Published December 24, 2005

NEW DELHI, Dec 23: Eleven members of bicameral parliament were sacked on Friday. Ten members of the Lok Sabha and one of the Rajya Sabha were caught on camera taking money to raise questions in the house,

The Lok Sabha expelled 10 MPs amid a walkout by the NDA members. This is for the first time that the India’s upper house has taken such a stern action against any member.

The expulsion in Lok Sabha was made through adoption by voice vote a motion moved by the leader of the house and Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

The expelled members of Lok Sabha are: Annasaheb M K Patil, Y.G. Mahajan, Chandra Pratap Singh, Pradeep Gandhi and Suresh Chandel (all belonging to BJP), Rajaram Pal, Narendra Kumar Kushawaha and Lal Chandra Kol (BSP), Ramsevak Singh (Congress) and Manoj Kumar (RJD).

Earlier, the P.K. Bansal Committee, which probed the cash-for-query scam, had recommended the expulsion of all the Lok Sabha members allegedly involved in the scandal.

Ahead of the voting, leader of the opposition L.K. Advani said expulsion was too serious a punishment for the “stupidity” committed by members and NDA constituents would not be party to the move and walked out the House along with other NDA members.

Meanwhile, the Rajya Sabha expelled BJP member Chhattrapal Singh Lodha from the House acting on the recommendation of the Ethics Committee, which found him guilty of accepting money for raising questions. — APP

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