The Hindu Business Line : Guilty won’t be spared: Speaker

New Delhi, July 22 The bribery scandal, in which it was alleged that three opposition Members of Parliament were offered several crores of rupees to abstain from voting on the confidence motion moved by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government, had the nation dazed on Tuesday.

Opposition MPs stormed the well of the House at 4 p.m. carrying a bag filled with wads of Rs 1,000 notes alleging that at least three members had been offered financial allurement to abstain from voting.

Displaying the currency on the floor of the House, the Opposition MPs alleged that the money was the first instalment paid to abstain from voting, thereby ensuring the survival of the Manmohan Singh Government.

The allegations and the subsequent commotion forced the Deputy Speaker, Mr Charnjit Singh Atwal , who was in the Chair, to adjourn proceedings.

All-round condemnation

The bribery allegations brought condemnations from all parties concerned.

The General Secretary of the CPI (M), Mr Prakash Karat, said display of wads of notes totalling Rs 1 crore in the well of the Lok Sabha allegedly offered to BJP MPs as bribe money marked a “shameful day” in the country’s democracy.

Mr Amar Singh of the Samajwadi Party, who was allegedly one of the persons to offer the inducement to the Opposition MPs, warned of serious action against the MPs. “A defamation case will be slapped against them,” Mr Singh told newspersons.

A senior Congress leader, Mr Ahmed Patel, who was also accused of being involved in the alleged attempt to wean away Opposition MPs, said he was ready to give up public life if anyone proved that he had paid money to BJP MPs for abstaining during the trust vote. Terming the allegation as “serious but baseless allegation” Mr Patel said that “if somebody was taking a name, they should have strong evidence to prove that.”

Promises action

The Lok Sabha Speaker, Mr Somnath Chatterjee, said nobody will be spared if found guilty in the allegations of bribery of three opposition MPs.

The Speaker promised to take all possible steps as the custodian of the House.

‘Extremely sad’

Emerging from the House after the vote, Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, said that the developments had made him “extremely sad. The matter is now before the Speaker. We will wait for his findings and cooperate with him fully to see whatever is necessary in accordance with law is done in this case.”

Congress MP Mr Rahul Gandhi said that he was “disgusted” with the developments.