New Delhi, Feb. 21 -- What happens when a lawmaker is accused of contempt of the House but later expresses regret to the privileges committee of the House? The latest edition of MN Kaul and SN Shakdher's Practice and Procedure of Parliament - the seminal reference guide for India's legislative affairs - gives a detailed note on such cases.
The book cites four examples from the 17th Lok Sabha (under Speaker Om Birla) when lawmakers Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, K Jayakumar, Abdul Khaleque and Vijay Kumar-were all accused of contempt of the House and suspended. All four leaders subsequently expressed regret to the privileges committee (Chowdhury in August 2023 and the other three in December 2023) and the suspensions were immediately lifted.
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