TMC MP expelled from House for the day

Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari suspended TMC member Sukhendu Sekhar Roy on Monday for making unauthorized comments on the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam.

The scam continued to rock the Upper House as Ansari asked Roy to withdraw from the Rajya Sabha for the day as the latter continued to raise the chopper deal issue without the chair’s permission, after his notice for an immediate statement from the government was rejected by the chairman.

The law-maker from Trinamool Congress that is contesting Assembly polls in West Bengal against a Left-Congress alliance, wanted the House to drop its regular business and take up the Agusta issue urgently. His notice, however, was rejected by the chair as the Upper House is scheduled to discuss the choppergate on Wednesday.

Raising the issue in the Zero Hour, Roy wanted to know who has taken the bribe in the deal to buy 12 VVIP helicopters. “The defence minister has to give a statement. Why is the government silent. Who is this AP (named as the bribe-taker in the deal, as per a hand-written note from one of the accused)? Who is Gandhi? Who is Shashikant,” he asserted.

The first hour of the day was adjourned a couple of times because of Roy and Congress members who wanted to corner the Modi government on a scam involving gas exploration of the Krishna Godavari basin by the Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation when Narendra Modi was chief minister. As Roy continued to shout from his seat during question hour, Ansari repeatedly asked him to stop and ordered that none of his comments go on record as they are unauthorised.

He also cautioned the member that he would invoke Rule 225 to suspend him from the House for the day if he didn’t stop.

With Roy not paying any heed to the Chair, Ansari said, “I invoke Rule 255. Will you please leave the chamber.” As Roy left the House, Other TMC members too staged a walk out. “I didn't misbehave the way Congress was. I was shouting from my seat,” he said later outside the House.

Cong accuses govt of selective leaks

The government and Congress Monday tired to corner each other on AgustaWestland helicopter issue in Parliament. The Congress accused the government of making selective leaks on AgustaWestland helicopter issue from sensitive documents of Ministry of Defence, Air Force Headquarters, CBI and ED and demanded an enquiry.

.The government must answer: A subject which has been bulletined for discussion on (May) 4th, individuals, various TV channels, journalists have been given sensitive documents of the CBI, ED and defence ministry. There should be an inquiry” Deputy Leader of Congress Anand Sharma said.