New Delhi: Congress MP Rajani Ashokrao Patil was reinstated in Rajya Sabha on Monday after the Privilege Committee, which found the MP guilty of circulating a video which she had shot inside the House early this year, proposed the move to revoke her suspension.
"Patil was found guilty of breach of privilege for reportedly circulating video shot inside the House. She has been under suspension for four months. The committee rules that her suspension so far, should be deemed as punishment...” the Panel in its report said.
On February 10, The Rajya Sabha suspended Patil for the remainder of the Budget Session for allegedly video recording and publishing the visuals from the Upper House. Her suspension came after a complaint by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP G.V.L. Narasimha Rao against her to Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar.
Acting on this, Dhankhar, who had told the House that the Privileges Committee of Rajya Sabha will hold an enquiry into Rao’s complaint, also moved a motion to suspend Patil who said she had refuted the allegation saying she had not done anything deliberately and was given a harsh punishment. The Congress members had walked out of the House protesting against the decision.
“I belong to a freedom fighter’s family and I should be given natural justice. I have not done anything deliberately,” Rajani Ashokrao Patil told reporters later. “Accusing me like this and straight away giving me the sternest punishment is not fair. I was deliberately named and I felt humiliated,” she added. Rajani Ashokrao Patil, who is also the All India Congress Committee In-charge for Jammu & Kashmir, represents Maharashtra in the Rajya Sabha.
