Lok Sabha members raise Trinamool sting operation, demand probe

Lok Sabha members including from the ruling BJP, the CPI-M and the Congress on Tuesday raised matters concerning a "sting operation" against Trinammol Congress members and demanded a house probe into the allegations.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Mohammad Salim of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) said the Lok Sabha had earlier acted against such members and even expelled them from the 14th Lok Sabha.

"We are ashamed that we have to sit along with some members who have been shown receiving money in return of lobbying," Salim said.

He said it was "shameful" at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself had declared Parliament as a "temple of democracy".

Salim urged Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to call for CDs from the news portal that did the sting operation against Trinamool leaders and set up a house committee immediately to probe it.

He was supported by S.S. Ahluwalia of the BJP and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury of the Congress.

Ahluwalia, representing West Bengal's Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency, said such episodes "were unfortunate" for the house and democracy.

"I am also ashamed about these," said Congress leader Adhir Chowdhury, representing Lok Sabha's Berhampore constituency in West Bengal.

Alleging a "political conspiracy" hatched against his party, Trinamool member Swagat Roy said there was no truth in the allegations made in the sting operation.

"There is a political conspiracy against Trinamool by the three parties -- BJP, Congress and CPI-M -- as they all are going to lose upcoming assembly elections in the state," Roy alleged.

"I want to know under what rule you have allowed them to raise the issue in the House...," he asked the chair. It resulted in heated exchange of words between Congress and CPI-M members on one side and Trinamool members on the other.