Delhi police told to pursue Jaitley case with sincerity

The Asian Age.

India, All India

After several members, cutting across party lines, opposed the previous report, the panel on privileges revisited the report.

Arun Jaitley (Photo: File)

New Delhi: Noting that unauthorised collection of call records of members of Parliament amounts to breach of privilege if it hinders their functioning, a parliamentary panel has directed the Delhi police to pursue criminal case filed in the matter relating to alleged surveillance of senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley with “all sincerity” so that the guilty persons could be punished.

The Rajya Sabha committee on privileges, looking into the issue of alleged surveillance of mobile phones of senior BJP leader and the then leader of Opposition Mr Jaitley in 2013, has also asked the Delhi police to inform it about the outcome of the judicial proceedings in the case.

Taking up another issue before it, the committee said the matter related to Hindutva leader, Sadhvi Prachi’s “terrorists in Parliament” remarks be allowed to rest, as pursuing it as ‘breach of privilege’ will not serve any purpose. However, the committee observed that such irresponsible remarks lead to erosion of values attached to these institutions and strongly condemned the remarks of Sadhvi Prachi.

Regarding the issue of alleged surveillance of mobile phones, the panel, in its previous report had termed the unauthorised access of call data records of Mr Jaitley as not breach of parliamentary privilege.

After several members, cutting across party lines, opposed the previous report, the panel on privileges revisited the report. The panel heard the Delhi police commissioner and also took opinion of the Attorney General on the issue of collection of CDRs of MPs.

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