Pepper spray incident referred to Privileges Committee

The Lok Sabha Speaker, Ms. Meira Kumar referred the pepper spray incident in the Parliament to the Committee of Privileges, which has powers to recommend punitive measures. The senior Congress leader Mr. PC Chacko is the head of the privilege committee.

About the P.C. Chacko committee

• Consists of 15 members
• Chairman of the Committee of Privileges of Lok Sabha: Mr. P C Chacko
• Function: To examine every question involving breach of privilege or contempt of the House or of the members of any Committee thereof referred to it by the House or by the Speaker.

• Enjoys power to take punitive measures which include recommending imprisonment and even expulsion among others.
• Would also consider whether Members of Parliament should be frisked for security purposes before entering the two Houses.

What is the issue behind the forming of the privilege committee?

• On the issue of the introduction of Telangana Bill in the Parliament, a pepper spray was used by some MPs in the Parliament, which resulted in the hospitalization of three MPs (Member of Parliamentarians) and plunged the House into extreme confusion and disorder.
• Later congress member Mr. L Rajagopal was expelled and 16 Seemandhra MPs were suspended.
• The Lok Sabha Secretariat stated that the decision to refer the matter to the Privileges Committee has been done under Rule 227 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha, where a question of privilege is referred to the Committee by the Speaker. 

About Committee of Privileges

• Examines the cases of breach of privileges of the House and its members and recommends appropriate action.
• Function: Semi judicial in nature.
• The Lok Sabha committee has 15 members while the Rajya Sabhacommittee has 10 members.