Rajya Sabha privilege notice against Prashant Bhushan for leaking CAG report on KG Basin

The notice for the privilege motion against Bhushan was given by K C Tyagi

The Rajya Sabha has sent a breach of privilege notice to lawyer Prashant Bhushan for “alleged premature disclosure of a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) pertaining to allocation of D6 Block in KG Basin in the press.”

The notice was given by K C Tyagi, a member of Parliament from the Janta Dal party.

Speaking about the notice, Bhushan said, “The Breach of Privilege notice sent to me by Rajya Sabha Secretariat for premature disclosure of CAG report on Reliance's loot of gas from KG Basin shows total ignorance of fundamental rights of citizens of this country and shows total lack of understanding of what constitutes a breach of privilege.”

The CAG report on KG Basin in question now forms part of record of Supreme Court in the PIL filed by Bhushan. He said, “Citizens of the country have a right to know the loot of natural resources, especially when disclosed by the CAG audits. I have been not only disclosing the CAG reports to the people as and when I get them but also using them in the courts in PILs like in 2G scam or coal scam cases.”

He said, “According to Supreme Court judgments, Privileges of Parliament are only those privileges without which the Parliament cannot function. It is absurd to suggest that the disclosure of a CAG report to be tabled in Parliament can in any manner prevent or impede the functioning of Parliament. Perhaps the time has come to educate MPs about the notion of breach of privilege.”

Bhushan has been asked to appear before the Rajya Sabha committee of privileges on February 10.