Somnath backs Kalmadi’s plea to attend parliament

Former CWG Organising Committee chief and Congress MP Suresh Kalmadi’s plea to allow him to attend Parliament’s monsoon session on Saturday received support from former speaker of Lok Sabha Somnath Chatterjee.

Former CWG Organising Committee chief and Congress MP Suresh Kalmadi’s plea to allow him to attend Parliament’s monsoon session on Saturday received support from former speaker of Lok Sabha Somnath Chatterjee.

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The octogenarian retired politician, who has often raised his voice against judicial overreach in legislature’s domain, told HT, “People voted an MP to represent them in the Parliament. He should be allowed to discharge this right.”

The Delhi high court on Friday asked for Kalmadi’s attendance records for past five years and “contributions made during the sessions”.

But Chatterjee feels his past performance should not come in the way of granting permission. “Whether he is otherwise eligible for going out is for the court to decide. He may not have raised a single issue earlier. He may need to do it now,” said Chatterjee.

Veteran lawyer KTS Tulsi also thinks Kalmadi should be allowed to go to Parliament “provided there is proper security.”

“His past record is only necessary to see if his absence can affect his membership of the Parliament,” Tulsi said.

Suresh Kalmadi’s record, however, shows during the last two Lok Sabha sessions he was present on just 10 days, remaining absent for 36 days.

In nine-year long Lok Sabha career, he never participated in a discussion on government bill. In the UPA’s second innings, he raised 42 questions out of which only three were starred — requiring verbal reply from the minister on the floor of the House.

The Congressman represents Pune, country’s eighth largest city but he is yet to bring any private member bill. He made just one special mention in Lok Sabha.