Hyderabad: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Sudhakar Singh on Monday approached Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, seeking his intervention over a defamation notice issued on behalf of a senior Bihar IPS officer. The Buxar MP alleged that the notice could be an attempt to impede the performance of his parliamentary duties.
Singh shared a screenshot of his communication to Birla on Facebook, days after writing an open letter to Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary. In the letter, he questioned whether the state government had authorised the notice issued on behalf of Kundan Krishnan, Director General of Police (Special Task Force).
The legal notice, sent by a law firm representing Krishnan, demanded an apology from Singh over remarks allegedly made against the IPS officer at a press conference in June and during an interview with a news portal last month.
The notice warned that failure to apologise within the specified period would lead to a defamation suit seeking Rs 5 crore in damages.
Singh, a former Bihar minister, has asked the Lok Sabha Speaker to examine whether the legal notice was intended to obstruct the discharge of his responsibilities as a Member of Parliament. He also urged Birla to refer the matter to the Privileges Committee if an investigation establishes that the notice was an attempt to interfere with his parliamentary duties.
The RJD leader raised questions about the role of the private law firm representing Krishnan, arguing that the language and tenor of the notice suggested that it was acting on behalf of the state government.
Singh said that, under the Constitution, the Advocate General and other law officers appointed by the state are authorised to represent the government in such matters. He called on the Lok Sabha Secretariat to seek an explanation from the Bihar government regarding the law firm's role.
"I trust that as the custodian of the Parliament's dignity and its members' freedom, you would appreciate the seriousness of this matter and take appropriate action", the MP said to the Speaker. (with inputs from PTI)