Making it clear that now no love lost between the two erstwhile alliance partner BJP and JD(U), as the saffron party openly demanded an early decision on disqualification of three MPs of its former ally. The demand was made on Thursday during the meeting of the privileges committee of the Lok Sabha.
The agenda regarding the JD(U) petition to disqualify three of its Lok Sabha MPs — Rajiv Ranjan Singh “Lalan”, Sushil Singh and Mangni Lal Mandal — is pending for months with the parliamentary panel.
The panel chief, Mr P.C. Chacko, informed the members during the meeting that the petitioner JD(U) deputy leader in the lower house Ranjan Prasad Yadav has sought more time on going ahead with the plea to disqualify the members under Schedule X of Disqualification Act.
On this, BJP members Shahnawaz Hussain and Ananth Kumar expressed their displeasure over the failure of JD(U) to make up its mind on the issue. They told Mr Chacko that Mr Yadav be asked to appear before the panel and inform whether his party wants to press for the disqualification, sources said. They said due to the continuous postponement of agenda, the fate of the three “poor” MPs was hanging in the balance and there is no “forward movement” on the issue. Some members claimed that BJP pressed for moving ahead with the issue despite Mr Yadav seeking more time to appear before the panel. They accused the BJP members for raising the issue, as JD(U) has parted ways with it.
BJP members insisted that they did not press for going ahead and had only demanded calling Mr Yadav to “take forward” the issue.