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BJP members boycott IT committee meeting
BJP MPs came to the meetings to lodge their protests and left without signing the register, said the person quoted above.
Members of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday staged a walkout from a meeting of the information technology standing committee led by Congress lawmaker Shashi Tharoor, people familiar with the matter said.
“When the House is functioning, how can meetings be scheduled at the same time? It is our job as MPs to help the Parliament function, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said. “I had raised the issue during the last session as well,” he said.
BJP MPs came to the meetings to lodge their protests and left without signing the register, said the person quoted above. “Over nine members were present, which is the base number needed for quorum and for meetings to continue,” the person added.
Dubey added that members from the ruling party will not be attending Wednesday’s meeting either, wherein the panel is set to discuss the controversial Pegasus Project with the government. He said that the agenda for the meeting was not discussed with the members beforehand. The person mentioned above, however, said that all procedures and protocols were followed before the meeting was scheduled.
The Pegasus project reports claim that the Israeli spyware was used to infiltrate the phones of activists, journalists, opposition leaders and even the government’s own ministers. The Centre has vehemently denied the charges, with Union minister for electronics and information technology, whose name was on the list, saying that reports were completely devoid of facts. The opposition has sought a probe into the allegations.
The panel will hear from the minister of home affairs, electronics and information technology and communications on Wednesday regarding the issue which has become a political flashpoint.
Meanwhile, industry representatives, such as actor and director Kamal Haasan and members of the Producers Guild and India Broadcasting and Digital Foundation informed the panel that they had not been consulted before the amendments to the Cinematograph Act were made. The person mentioned above said that the industry representatives were “aghast that the government could have such revisionary powers”.
The amendments propose that the Central government can ask the chairperson of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to review the approval given to a movie on the grounds of sovereignty, integrity of India and threat to public order. The amendment has caused outrage among the industry, with producers, directors and artistes writing to the government that the move will stifle creative expression.
A second person familiar with the matter said that overall there was sense that constructive and productive discussion was needed. “It is clear that there is need for further consideration,” the person said. “The ministry discussed the issue comprehensively.”
The second person said that four key issues were raised Tharoor at the meeting, the question of the government having retrospective power for review and its financial implications, the new age classifications which put the onus on the exhibitor, the issue of censorship versus classification and who is allowed to ask for a movie to the be taken. “The power for retrospective review was contested across the industry,” the person said. “As for the committee that recommends this, it was suggested that it not only have members from the government but from the film fraternity as well.”
The first person added that the ministry argued that since India is vast and diverse country, exceptions need to be made for public good.
