No privilege notice against Smriti: Kurien

Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P J Kurien on Thursday dismissed reports that Privileges Committee has sought an explanation from HRD Minister Smriti Irani over a notice given by Sitaram Yechury.

Kurien summoned the press corps to clarify that no meeting of the Privileges Committee had taken place on Wednesday and the question of seeking explanation from the HRD Minister did not arise.

“There is no notice for a Privilege Motion against the HRD Minister. Somebody may have wrongly briefed a section of the media,” said Kurien, who is the Chairman of the Privileges Committee of the Rajya Sabha.

At the same time, Kurien admitted that members of the Privileges Committee had met on Wednesday for an “informal discussion” and to hear out Sadhvi Prachi, who had been served a notice over certain comments made. “For a committee to meet, there is a quorum of five members. On Wednesday, there were less than five members,” he said.

Kurien said Sadhvi Prachi was called as a witness and Parliamentary rules do not require a committee to meet to hear a witness. “The chairman or a group of members can listen to what a witness has to say,” he said.