The lawmakers have hit back at Team Anna with vengeance and confrontation is in the air.
The core members of the team - Prashant Bhushan, Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi - have been served privilege notices for allegedly making derogatory remarks against MPs.
In an apparent bid to tighten the noose around the activists, the Delhi Police are also mulling action against them for flouting four conditions of the undertaking given by them before the start of the indefinite hunger strike by Anna Hazare at Ramlila Maidan.
Though the committee of privileges of both Houses has the power to even order imprisonment, an awkward situation could arise if the Team Anna members do not express regret and prefer going to jail to continue with their fight against the system.
As on Saturday, the civil society activists have decided not to apologise for the remarks they made, in spite of the breach of privilege notices issued to them.
Though Parliament had virtually bowed to ensure that Hazare ended his indefinite fast over the Lokpal Bill, several MPs had later decided to take up the issue of alleged insults hurled at them during the 12-day-long agitation.
Bhushan confirmed having received the notice and that he had been asked to respond. He, however, stated that speaking the truth in public interest did not amount to breach of privilege of the House and the notice was unjustified.
"If speaking truth in public interest amounts to breach of privilege, then the time has come for the country to review the whole notion of Parliamentary privileges," he said.
Kejriwal also confirmed that the letter had been received at his residence in Ghaziabad but said that he was yet to see it.
Bedi, who had talked about politicians wearing masks while addressing the gathering from the dais at the Ramlila Maidan, has maintained that her statement had to be considered in the context of the situation.
But she had made her intentions clear through her statement on Twitter. "Received breach of Privilege. Shall respond appropriately recording the distrust 'we the people' were suffering," she had tweeted.
Bedi stated that she would not apologise for her remarks against politicians but would instead show a bigger mirror to the House on the conduct of lawmakers.
"If I get a notice, I would say I am sorry I will not be able to say sorry," she said.
Social activist Aruna Roy, who differed with some of the provisions in Anna's version of Lokpal and also his mode of protest, disapproved the move to bring breach of privilege motion against the three activists.
"I agree that such comments are not acceptable, but I disapprove the move to bring privilege motion on the entire matter. There are other legal ways to deal with such cases," she told reporters.
On Income-Tax department's notice to Kejriwal to pay dues, Roy said the department should have served him notice in 2007.
Several MPs in both Houses of Parliament had moved the motion for action against Anna's team for publicly lampooning Parliamentarians.
The MPs were in particular upset with Bedi and actor Om Puri, who gave a fiery speech from the dais when he came to lend moral support to the movement.
Nine MPs had individually moved the breach of privilege motion against Bedi and Puri in the two Houses. Incidentally, none of the BJP MPs had sought action against the members of team Anna.
One Rajya Sabha member, Mohammed Adeeb, had included Prashant Bhushan's name in the motion. He had alleged that both Bedi and Bhushan had used offensive language against MPs.
Adeeb said that Bhushan had been shown by news channels as saying that MPs accept bribe to pass bills.
The motions were backed by members by the thumping of desks. The MPs demanded that Parliament should rein in those lowering the dignity of the House by using intemperate language.
Members had particularly taken umbrage to the remarks of Om Puri who had called them nalayak (useless) and ganwar (village bumpkins).
While accusing the MPs of wearing many masks and saying different things outside Parliament and in Parliament, Bedi donned a dupatta over her head to mock the 'duplicity' of the politicians.
Even before the motion for breach of privilege was formally moved, Sharad Yadav, while participating in the debate on the issues raised by Anna, had objected to the intemperate language used by activists.
Although Bhushan, Kejriwal and Bedi were unwilling to budge, Puri did not waste time in admitting his mistake. "I was very emotional and I regret using those words," he said. "If I am called I am ready to go before them and clarify," he added.
Bedi, on her part, maintained that her statement was made out of anger and desperation as Parliamentarians were going back on their word to discuss Anna's Jan Lokpal Bill.
In the Lok Sabha, the privilege motion was moved by P. L. Punia, Jagdambika Pal, Praveen Aron, Lalchand Kataria, Mirza Aslam Beg (all Congress), Ramshankar Rajbhar (BSP) and Shailendra Kumar (SP).
Ramgopal Yadav (SP) and Mohd Adeeb (independent) had moved the motion in the Rajya Sabha.
Under the rules, after the breach of privilege motion is admitted, the matter is referred to the Lok Sabha Committee of Privileges and the Rajya Sabha Committee of Privileges, respectively.
The committee issues notice and seeks the response of the persons charged with breach of privilege. It has the power to recommend censure and in severe cases even imprisonment.
With the police also preparing a case for use of loudspeakers beyond 10pm, taking out a torch procession, obstructing traffic and giving calls to supporters to gather at India Gate without permission, the stage is set for yet another showdown.
Whether these are pressure tactics or action will be taken against the "offenders" to bring them to heel, remains to be seen.
|
|
|
|
Get Free Email Updates Daily! |
Follow us! 
|