A section of the Congress is planning to table a privilege motion against the CAG making it clear that the party wants to intensify the battle against the constitutional functionary. “We are seriously examining whether a case of privilege can be made out against the CAG or not,” sources in the party said, a day after it unleashed an attack on the auditor.
The Congress on Friday had taken a very serious note of the CAG’s press release on Wednesday and wondered whether there was any rule in Parliament procedures prohibiting MPs from commenting on matters lying before a parliamentary committee.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity a senior party leader said, “This (CAG’s release) is breach of the privileges of an MP rather than the MPs reaction on CAG report being a contempt of Parliament.”
The leader also recalled that JD(U) MP Jainarain Nishad had also moved a privilege motion against the CAG and also some media organisations during the Winter Session protesting the leaks of the report before it was tabled in Parliament. But the motion was rejected by Speaker Meira Kumar as it was found that leak of a document was not a privilege issue. Asked about the Opposition’s attack on the Congress on “undermining” constitutional bodies like CAG, the leader shot back saying: “Why those, who are now claiming to be the greatest defendants of CAG, did not ask then why Nishad filed a privilege motion against CAG.”