Thiruvananthapuram Airport: CPI (M) moves privilege notice against Aviation Minister

CPI(M) member in the Rajya Sabha Elamaram Kareem has given a privilege notice against Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri here on Friday alleging that the Minister had given false statement on the transfer of Thiruvananthapuram Airport to Adani Enterprises.

The notice, given under under rule 187 of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Rajya Sabha to Secretary General of the Upper House, says that the Minister deliberately gave false information to mislead the House and intentionally violated the written statement given in the House.

“In the answer given to me in an unstarred question, on March 11 in Rajya Sabha, Puri stated that the matters related to the approval for leasing out of Trivandrum Airport was under the consideration of High Court of Kerala and the Government has not taken a final decision as the matter is sub-judice”. Through this statement the Minister and the Government have made the Parliament believe that any action related to the leasing out of Thiruvananthapuram Airport will be taken after the High Court of Kerala takes a decision. But the Union Cabinet has already decided to lease out the operation and management of Trivandrum Airport to the private bidder,” Kareem said later in a statement.

He added that if the matter was sub-judice on March 11, its status will be the same now also. “Hence it is undoubtedly proved that the Minister deliberately gave false information to mislead the House and thereby the people. If it is argued that the statement was true, then the Minister and the Government have intentionally violated the written statement given in the House. Both are clear cases of breach of Privilege and contempt of Parliament,” Kareem said.