The privilege violation motion notice given by BJP MLA Sudhir Sharma against Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu was dismissed in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly on Tuesday. Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania rejected the notice, calling it contempt of the House as it lacked supporting rules and evidence.
Pathania said that some MLAs have been sending demi-official (DO) notes without citing relevant rules. “Such messages will not be considered,” he warned. The Speaker clarified that while members are free to raise public interest issues in the House, the platform cannot be used for political purposes. “Anything can be said in a light mood, but the House cannot allow issues to be raised without citing rules. Such arguments fall under violation and will be rejected,” he added.
In response to the rejection, Sharma said it is within the Speaker’s right to dismiss the motion or refer it to a committee. “We will now bring the privilege motion again under the rules. This is not a personal issue but a matter concerning the unemployed in the state. The post of Chief Minister carries dignity, and he should maintain it,” he said.
Taking a dig at the government, Sharma questioned the relevance of the Assembly session and the question hour under such circumstances. “If this situation continues, then instead of asking questions in the House, it is better to seek information through RTI,” he remarked.
Earlier, Dharamshala MLA Sudhir Sharma had moved a privilege motion against the Chief Minister for giving misleading information in the House on several issues, including employment, the Adarsh Health Institute, and the Congress government’s ten guarantees. The BJP MLA had made this notice public through his social media account on Monday.
