The Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha on Friday received a major setback when the Supreme Court stayed proceedings related to the appearance of journalists of the TV Today network in connection with a sting
The Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha on Friday received a major setback when the Supreme Court stayed proceedings related to the appearance of journalists of the TV Today network in connection with a sting operation that the channel had conducted during the Muzaffarnagar riots.
The top court has asked the state government to submit its reply within four months.
The state Assembly had asked the TV journalists to appear before the House on Friday after the channel had sought time to present its case. Even before the proceedings could begin, the Supreme Court stayed the matter.
UP Assembly Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey announced the court decision in the House and said that an all-party meeting would later be convened to discuss the future course of action.
The all-party meeting held later decided to seek legal opinion in the matter and appeal in the apex court.
Leader of Opposition Swami Prasad Maurya said the apex court order amounted to an infringement of the rights of the house.
“We respect the judiciary but we cannot justify this decision. There has been no cause for action because the channel was simply asked to present its views on the report of the committee that probed the sting operation,” he said.
Congress and RLD leaders also supported the contention of Mr Maurya but the BJP said it did support the views expressed by the leader of Opposition but it wanted that legal opinion should be taken in the matter.
Parliamentary affairs minister Mohd Azam Khan said the episode reflected the degeneration of the system, and had personally affected him.
“Anyone else in my place would have probably committed suicide,” he said.
He said the sting operation during the Muzaffarnagar riots had blamed him for engineering the riots but the panel that probed the sting found it to be false.
“To make a mistake and then not even accept it has become a part of the system now. This happened again recently in the JNU case. The court has taken a decision and it is binding on us. I would suggest that the House should also withdraw its report on the sting operation so that the legislature can avoid being insulted,” he said.
