LS to consider censure motion against Team Anna

The Lok Sabha is likely to consider a censure motion against anti-graft activist Anna Hazare and his team members, asking them to refrain from using derogatory language against members of Parliament. Kejriwal refuses to back down

The Lok Sabha is likely to consider a censure motion against anti-graft activist Anna Hazare and his team members, asking them to refrain from using derogatory language against members of Parliament.

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The censure motion, if adopted and voted in favour by a majority in the house, would mean that Team Anna members would be criticised but won't be called to the House unlike under a privilege motion.

Lok Sabha sources said National Democratic Alliance (NDA) convenor Sharad Yadav, who heads the Janata Dal-United (JD-U), has already given the notice to Speaker Meira Kumar.

The sources said that the opposition and ruling benches had joined hands on the issue; if moved, it would be one of rare occasions when both sides would be voting in favour of the same motion.

"It condemns derogatory remarks by Team Anna members against parliamentarians," said a source in the know of Sharad Yadav's notice.

The notice will be taken up around 4 pm for a vote after a brief debate.

On Monday, many MPs cutting across party lines asked the speaker to move a resolution condemning what they said were unsavoury remarks by members of Hazare's team during their renewed anti-corruption agitation at Jantar Mantar Sunday.

The man in the eye of the storm is key member Arvind Kejriwal who had said that parliament was facing a credibility crisis with 162 sitting MPs facing criminal charges. He also said some MPs were thieves and rapists.