M A I L B A G

Parliament can expel tainted MPs

Parliament represents the general will of 1,000 million people. It is indeed “supreme” as the Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee says. The Pawan Bansal Committee Report rationally and judiciously concluded that the 11 MPs deserved expulsion. The decision symbolised the will of the common people which must be respected by all other wings of the Constitution including the judiciary.

It was Montesquieu (1689-1755) who enunciated the concept of separation of powers and forcefully argued that it was “in the nature of authority to abuse itself”. In his thoughtful opinion, “moderation in the exercise of authority” was the hallmark of a good government and this was possible only through a clear-cut delineation of limitations of three wings.

Mr Somnath Chatterjee is right in his observation that “the misconduct of the MPs should be tackled within” and the judiciary should respect the jurisdiction of Parliament. There is hardly any room for doubt and confusion then.

RAJ BAHADUR YADAV, Fatehabad

II

Parliament is the supreme lawmaking body. It represents the will of the people of the whole country. How can the judiciary question a decision taken by Parliament? Moreover, it is not a constitutional amendment or legislation in question. It is a question of tackling corruption with a firm hand.

As Parliament is the voice of the people, the judiciary should not lay its hands on the issue of expulsion of tainted members. Questioning or reviewing Parliament’s decision on this issue implies questioning the collective wisdom of the people.

IQBAL SINGH BRAR, Ghaniawala (Faridkot)

Misuse of landuse policy THE increase in renting out of the residential plots for commercial purposes has disturbed peace and private space in New Delhi’s developed residential areas. How can one rent out residential areas to schools, banks and so on? Misuse of the landuse policy by commercial complexes has led to congestion, vehicular pollution and chaos in large parts of the city. There are no major guidelines for parking for other commercial uses in residential areas even though such uses have been legalised. There is a need for a composite parking policy for New Delhi and a strict control, edification, and vigilance over the illegal renting of houses for commercial purposes. AKANKSHA CHAUDHARY, Student, Lady Shri Ram College, New Delhi