Amarinder accuses Badal of belittling institution of MLA
Monday, 22/09/2014
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CHANDIGARH: Amritsar parliamentarian Captain Amarinder Singh, who is also Congress deputy leader in the Lok Sabha, on Sunday accused chief minister Parkash Singh Badal of belittling the institution of legislator by asking a commissioner-level officer to look into a complaint against him.
“As elected representatives of the people, legislators are above the chief secretary in standard government protocol,” Amarinder reminded Badal before asking him: “Or is it that you have been bullied by some officers to mark this inquiry (against Congress legislator Kuljit Singh Nagra, who is accused of abusing a woman officer during an of ficial meeting), as often you cry hoarse that they gang up to defend erring colleagues.”
The former chief minister asked the current incumbent why the inquiry had to be marked to the commissioner, when the Vidhan Sabha speaker was seized of the matter already and he had even summoned everybody involved on September 24.
“You have tried to not only belittle the institution of an MLA (member of legislative assembly) but also undermine the constitutional authority of the speaker, ” he told Badal.
Regretting the disrespect shown by a state government officer to Nagra, Amarinder has said it is not the issue of a Congress MLA alone but of all elected representatives who may come from any party.
He said the step also betrayed that the chief minister lacked faith in the office of the speaker.
