Lok Sabha privileges panel to probe Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's 'misconduct' at meet on Friday

The Privileges Committee of the Lok Sabha on Friday will conduct its meeting to discuss the complaint of misconduct against Leader of Congress in the Lower House Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who was suspended for "gross, deliberate and repeated misconduct”.

Lok Sabha had on August 10 adopted a motion suspending Chowdhury, who is accused of showing utter disregard to the House and authority of the Chair, till the Privileges Committee submits report.

According to the agenda shared with members of the panel headed by BJP MP Sunil Kumar Singh, there will be "deliberations in respect of motion/resolution adopted by the House on 10 August, 2023 on the gross, deliberate and repeated misconduct of Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, MP in utter disregard to the House and authority of the Chair leading to his suspension from the service of the House with effect from 10 August, 2023 and referring the matter of his misconduct to the Committee of Privileges for further investigation and report to the House".

It will be the first item on agenda and the matter will be discussed between 12:30 PM and 1 PM on August 18. Two more items will also be discussed in Friday's meeting.

Speaker Om Birla had objected to the behaviour of Chowdhury and BJP MP Virendra Singh during the debate. Singh had tendered an apology for his conduct.

Just before moving the motion, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi had described Chowdhury's actions as "habitual" and deliberate” and said that he disrupted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reply to the debate on no-confidence motion besides interrupting speeches of Home Minister Amit Shah and other ministers in the Lok Sabha.

"In spite of repeated requests and repeated warnings from the Chair also, he has not improved himself. And, always in his debates, he makes baseless charges," Joshi had said. Chowdhury had said that his suspension was a "retrogressive step" by the BJP and indicated that he might even move the Supreme Court against the decision if it is feasible.