When officials defy parliamentary panel

Govt stonewalling probe by every means possible

The boycott of a meeting of the parliamentary committee on Information Technology by officials of three ministries and the conduct of BJP MPs at the meeting raises serious questions about the usefulness of such committees and, in turn, the efficacy of the parliamentary system as such. The committee is headed by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and was to hold its meeting last week. It was to examine, among other things, the charges of surveillance of citizens with the help of the Israeli company NSO Group’s Pegasus software. Officials of the ministries of IT and communications and home affairs who were summoned by the committee failed to turn up at the last minute. It was clear that it was a coordinated action, perhaps prompted by the government. The BJP members on the committee refused to mark their presence on the flimsy ground that Opposition members in Parliament were disrupting the House, and so the meeting had to be adjourned for lack of quorum.

The purpose of a parliamentary committee is to discuss issues that for some reason are not discussed in detail in Parliament. It assists Parliament in its deliberations and is part of the checks and balances in the system. It is a platform where members can engage experts, officials and others to scrutinise issues. Government officials have no option but to attend them and refusal to attend a meeting amounts to a violation of service rules and defiance of Parliament. It may also be considered a breach of privilege and contempt of Parliament and should attract action. It can only be inferred as to why the officials felt emboldened enough to defy parliamentary summons. The senior officials should have known the difference between the government and Parliament as this division of powers is crucial in a parliamentary democracy.

Committee chairman Tharoor has written to the Lok Sabha Speaker about the matter but a BJP member of the committee, Nishikant Dubey, has told the Speaker to ignore the chairman’s letter for the strangest of reasons. Dubey wrote that Tharoor “is known for his eccentric nature as well as acute psychological disorder and disorientation”, and so in effect should not be taken seriously. He has also defended the officials. When an MP, and by extension, his party, defends officials who disrespect Parliament, how can the parliamentary system work? The government has been stubbornly resisting demands within Parliament and outside for a discussion on the Pegasus issue. There is no convincing reason for its refusal to agree to a discussion on an issue that has a strong bearing on citizens’ rights. It is trying to close all other avenues of discussion. The Speaker will hopefully protect the rights of Parliament.