The Bharatiya Janata Party Thursday categorically said it would oppose the expulsion of ten Lok Sabha Members as recommended by the House Committee, which probed the cash-for-query scam, if "proper procedures" were not followed.
"We are in favour of stern action against the guilty but the punishment has to be according to law and procedures. It should not set a wrong precedent nor should any room be left for judicial intervention," BJP parliamentary party spokesman V K Malhotra told reporters in New Delhi.
Complete coverage: The cash-for-questions scam
The five-member committee, headed by senior Congress MP Pawan Kumar Bansal, held the continuance of the membership of the ten accused as "untenable", but Malhotra had appended a note of dissent to the report.
Five of the ten MPs are from BJP. They include Annasaheb M K Patil, Y G Mahajan, Pradeep Gandhi, Suresh Chandel and Chandra Pratap Singh. Malhotra said in the absence of any Supreme Court judgement on the matter, even the judiciary was divided on the issue with the Punjab and Haryana High Court holding that expulsion was not possible (in the Haridwari Lal case) and the Madhya Pradesh Court ruling otherwise.
He said while the Privileges Committee of the Lok Sabha was empowered to recommend their expulsion, it gave the MPs the right to self-defence including cross examination and examination of evidence.
"In accordance with the principles of natural justice, either the matter should be referred to the Privileges Committee or the Bansal Committee should adopt the rules and procedures of the Privileges Committee. If they don't do, we will oppose any motion to expel them", he said.
More from rediff