Congress Leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury Faces Privileges Committee Probe Over Misconduct

New Delhi, August 14, 2023: The Privileges Committee of the Lok Sabha is set to initiate an inquiry into the alleged misconduct of Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who was suspended from the lower house last week.

Chaired by BJP member Sunil Kumar Singh, the committee will deliberate on the motion adopted by the Lok Sabha on August 10, which cited “gross, deliberate and repeated misconduct” by Chowdhury in blatant disregard for the House and the Chair’s authority.

The contentious behavior came to light during the debate on a no-confidence motion against the government, when Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla raised objections to Chowdhury and BJP member Virendra Singh’s conduct. While Singh tendered an apology for his actions, Chowdhury now faces scrutiny from the Privileges Committee.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi characterized Chowdhury’s actions as “habitual and deliberate,” pointing out his repeated disruptions during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reply to the debate and interventions during speeches by Home Minister Amit Shah and other ministers.

“In spite of repeated requests and repeated warnings from the Chair also, he has not improved himself. And, always in his debates, he makes baseless charges,” Joshi stated as he moved the motion for Chowdhury’s suspension from the House, pending investigation.