State Assembly Speaker Pradip Kumar Amat on the last day of the Budget session on Saturday referred a privilege notice against ARSS construction company’s chairman Subhash Agrawal and its legal agent, a Kolkota based law firm Khaiatan & Co, to the Privileges Committee of the House following a demand of the Member of legilsative Assembly (MlAs) cutting across party lines.
The privilege notice was brought by Congress member Santosh Singh Saluja, who was supported by a number of others including ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) members Ranendera Pratap Swain and Amar Prasad Satpathy and BJP member KV Singh Deo.
ARSS’s law firm, in legal notices to Saluja and six mediapersons, has asked them to make statements refuting the “defamatory” remarks made by Saluja against Agarwal in the Assembly on December 10 last. The law firm also asked to pay Rs1,000 crore for the “defamatory, false and malicious libel” within seven days, failing which defamation proceedings, both civil and criminal, would be initiated for recovery of the damages.
Saluja’s statement was carried by five newspapers and the Odisha Television limited (OTV). Moving the privilege notice, Saluja said that as per the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly, the members can raise and discuss any issue in the House which cannot be challenged in any court or other forum.
The media have every right to publish the statements. By sending the legal notice, Agrawal and the law firm have breached the privilege of the members of the House.
So, the Speaker should send the notice to the Privileges Committee to take appropriate action, Saluja said, adding that both Agrawal and the head of the law firm should be summoned before the Privileges Committee.
Saluja pointed out that the Assembly members had participated in a discussion on a question relating to the construction of road and the delayed and substandard work being done by ARSS.
Supporting Saluja, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and BJP members expressed concern over the threat given by the law firm at the behest of Agrawal.
They said the House has been taken for granted with the privilege of the members being challenged. No lawyer has the audacity to threaten and challenge the members for their speeches in the House.
State Assembly Speaker later ruled that he has decided to refer the notice to the Privileges Committee.