Speaker to decide on breach of privilege on Navneet Rana's complaint against Shiv Sena MP: Experts

The complaint made by Navneet Ravi Rana, MP from Amravati in Maharashtra, in which she accused a Shiv Sena MP of "threatening" her in the lobby for her remarks in the House, would be examined by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla who will decide if it amounts to a breach of privilege of the member, experts have said.

Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant has denied the allegations levelled by Navneet Rana.

Experts said that the Speaker, in such a case, seeks comments of the member against whom a complaint has been made.

PDT Acharya, a former Lok Sabha Secretary-General, said that since the complaint refers to the MP's comments in the House, it "must be" a matter concerning privilege.

In her letter to the Speaker, Navneet Ravi Rana, who is an Independent MP, said that she raised the matter concerning Sachin Waze in Lok Sabha when the letter written by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh to Maharashtra Chief Minister Singh was being raised in the House.

She alleged that Sawant threatened her in the lobby of Lok Sabha concerning her "freedom of movement" in Maharashtra and also threatened that she "will be to put jail".

Acharya said if a member has written to the Speaker drawing his attention to what happened in the lobby, the "Speaker is very much concerned about that".

"The Speaker has to deal with privilege issue if she raises it," he said.

The former Lok Sabha Secretary-General said in any such case, the Speaker seeks comments of the member against whom a complaint has been made and decide if there is a prima-facie case of breach of privilege.

He said "many things can be done by Speaker" and he may caution a member without sending the matter to the privileges committee.

Former Lok Sabha Speaker Subhash Kashyap said the Speaker will decide whether to send the matter to the Privileges Committee. He said the Speaker will seek comments of the other member before taking any such decision.

A former Lok Sabha official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that the Speaker may also call the concerned members to his chamber to sort out the matter.

The experts said that the matter being sent to the privileges committee does not mean that it becomes a matter of privilege and it is sent for "further examination".

Rana had alleged in the letter that Sawant had not only "insulted" her "but women of the entire country". She has demanded "strict police action" against Sawant.

( With inputs from ANI )