Vice-President Hamid Ansari has referred Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Sadhvi Prachi’s comments, referring to Parliamentarians as “terrorists,” to the privileges committee of the Rajya Sabha.
“Members are informed that Chairman, Rajya Sabha, has [on Thursday] referred a question of breach of privilege arising out of the complaint of Naresh Agrawal and other members of the Rajya Sabha pertaining to alleged derogatory remarks against Members of Parliament by Sadhvi Prachi, a leader of a religious organisation, to the committee of privileges,” a bulletin of the Upper House said. On August 6, Sadhvi Prachi had allegedly said that “it is a big misfortune that in the Indian Parliament, we have one-two terrorists.”
She had allegedly said this in reference to some of the views expressed by MPs on the hanging of the 1993 Mumbai blasts convict Yakub Memon. “When the sentence was handed down by a court, those supporting the terrorist are terrorists themselves, I believe,” she had said.
The matter has been referred to the committee under rule 203 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Rajya Sabha for examination, investigation and report.
Senior Rajya Sabha members, including Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury and TRS member K. Keshav Rao, were among 20 members who gave the privilege notice against the VHP leader, saying her remarks had “violated the dignity” of Parliament and the privilege of MPs.
Janata Dal (U) leader K.C. Tyagi had also sent a letter giving a rebuttal of Sadhvi Prachi’s explanation. He said her letter did not in any way go to show how her remarks against the MPs were justified.
Accusing her of “trying to hide behind” her argument that she was trying to defend the President of India as well as the honourable Supreme Court, Mr. Tyagi asked “under what law, covenant, resolution, instruction does she abrogate to herself the right to defend these sacrosanct institutions.”
