Shillong, March 23: The Meghalaya Legislative Assembly today dropped all cases against a Government official after he apologized and was reprimanded for breach of privilege of the House. South Tura legislator approached the Privilege Committee claiming in his complaint, that during a stalemate between the CEO and traders, vendors of Ringrey market at Tura in 2014, for not moving to a new location, he was falsely attributed for instigating the traders and vendors for it.
The Tura CEO had “tried to project the local MLA disrespectfully addressed as one person causing the situation,” was one of the complaints of South Tura MLA. Under Rule 172 of the House, the Speaker reprimanded the official “for gross breach of privilege” and asked the Tura Municipal Board Chief Executive Officer, Zenithsky J Sangma who was brought to the bar of the House escorted by the Marshals, if he would apologise before the House for his action.
Before the charges against him were read out, the Speaker Abu Taher Mondal asked him to bow down before the House and take an oath. “The House has charged you for committing breach of privilege against one of the Members, John Leslee K. Sangma, which led to breach of privilege and dignity of this House,” the Speaker said. Sangma tendered his apology to the House. After receiving the apology, the Speaker sought the opinion of the House, to which, the Chief Minister, Mukul Sangma said this was the first such incident, he had come across in his political career, although such summoning was done once before in 1973.
“Now let this incident be a reason for all concerned to understand the power this House is vested with,” the Leader of the House said. After the Chief Minister’s statement, the Speaker disallowed other Members, particularly, John Leslee to speak and dropped all charges against the official, but not before asking him to bow again before the Chair, the Treasury and the Opposition bench. The Official obliged and was allowed to go.
Earlier, as the official was being summoned into the House, Opposition Member from the National People’s Party, James Sangma, rose and objected the summoning. “I don’t want to go into the merits and demerits of the case, but I don’t agree with the method in which the official is being summoned and sought to be reprimanded,” James said.
However, the Speaker ruled that since the Member didn’t raise the matter when the Privilege Motion was being moved, his stand could not be accepted the House having adopted the Motion. Then, the NPP Legislator rose and packed his papers and walked out of the House saying, he didn’t want to be part of such proceedings.
