Action against TVs for airing sting operations

      New Delhi: Criticizing sting operations shown by various television channels, Information and Broadcast Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi said on Tuesday that action would be taken against the TV channel that had aired a story on MPs sub-letting their premises to earn money. On Monday, a sting operation was shown by a private channel in which occupants of the servant quarters' of some MPs and Ministers residences admitted that they were paying monthly rent ranging from Rs.1500 to Rs.2500. Replying to a matter raised by the BJP member Santosh Gangwar in the Lok Sabha, Munsi claimed that private channels opt for the sting operations to simply increase their TRPs. He went on to say that the private channels were more interested in sensationalism of news and fooling the people in believing what they telecast. Referring to sting operations against MPs, Gangwar questioned those who carried out the sting operation at the residences of MPs. "The story has lowered the prestige of the Parliament and put down the elected representatives in the eyes of the people," Gangwar said.

    The Lok Sabha yesterday reprimanded four members who were held guilty in the Member of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLADs) scam and suspended them for their "improper conduct" in the implementation of the scheme till March 22. The four members who were involved in the scam are former Congress Goa Chief Minister Churchil Alemao, Paras Nath Yadav (SP), Faggan Singh Kulaste (BJP) and Ramswaroop Koli (BJP). This was the first time that any member has been reprimanded by the House which had handed out other forms of punishment like admonition, suspension and expulsion. The five Lok Sabha members who came under scanner over alleged irregularities committed by them while spending their MPLAD funds caught under the 'Operation Chakravyuh', a sting operation by a television channel. Earlier, 11 MPs were caught on-camera accepting bribe for asking questions in Lok Sabha during a sting operation, code-named Operation Duryodhana. This operation was conducted jointly by Cobrapost.com and Aaj Tak news channel. In an unprecedented historical move creating a parliamentary history, the Lok Sabha on December 23, 2005 had adopted the motion to this effect by a voice vote, following which 10 MPs were shown the door on charges of "unbecoming conduct". The MPs who were involved in the scam are Annasaheb M K Patil, Y G Mahajan, Chandra Pratap Singh, Pradeep Gandhi and Suresh Chandel (all BJP), Rajaram Pal, Narendra Kumar Kushawaha and Lal Chandra Kol (all BSP), Ramsevak Singh (Cong) and Manoj Kumar (RJD). Earlier in the day, Chhatrapal Singh Lodha, the lone tainted BJP MP from Rajya Sabha, was removed by a motion adopted by the House on the recommendation of the Ethics Committee. There is only one similar incident of 1951, when H G Mudgal was removed by the Provincial Parliament on charges of accepting money from Bombay Bullion traders for doing their work in Parliament. However, his resignation was not accepted.

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