Former Bharatiya Janata Party MP Pradeep Gandhi, who lost his Lok Sabha membership over the cash-for-query operation, on Thursday questioned the 'morality' in allowing convicted members to participate in the trust motion to save the government.
He said on corruption charges he and nine other MPs were dismissed from the House, whereas murder convicts are allowed not only to participate in the debate, but also the trust vote.
"It is against morality," he wrote to Speaker Somnath Chatterjee.
"We were literally killed in the House on the allegation of corruption charges. People, who are convicted of murder charges are being allowed to participate in the trust motion to save the government," Gandhi told PTI in Raipur on Thursday.
Two different standards were maintained between 2006 and now, claimed Gandhi, who had vacated his MLA seat to enable the Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh to enter the state assembly and in return, he got elected to Lok Sabha from Rajnandgaon during the 2004 poll as a BJP candidate.
Gandhi, who lost his Lok Sabha membership in 2006 after being caught in camera accepting cash to raise questions in Parliament, said he had also written to the speaker, questioning the decision to allow convicted members to participate in the voting.
When the Left parties have levelled allegation of horse trading to win the trust motion, the speaker should also take all such steps to check that, Gandhi, said.
The BJP leader said he plans to meet various national leaders in the next three days to campaign for the move not to allow the convicts to participate in the trust motion.
When 10 members were dismissed over cash-for-query operation, they were not given much scope of hearing whereas in the case of convicted members, some of them who are even facing murder charges, are being allowed to continue as members of the House, the BJP leader said.
People, who have killed human beings, are allowed to continue as members of the House whereas through 'conspiracy', 10 members were 'trapped' and for that they lost their membership, Gandhi said.
At least this time on grounds of morality, convicted members should not be allowed to cast their votes in the trust motion, he said.
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