Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has constituted the Privileges Committee for the 18th Lok Sabha, appointing senior BJP leader and former Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad as its chairman. This marks the first formation of the panel in the current Lok Sabha.
The 15-member committee comprises eight MPs from the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and seven from the Opposition. Members include Manish Tewari and Manickam Tagore of Congress, Kalyan Banerjee of Trinamool Congress, T R Baalu of DMK, along with BJP leaders Brijmohan Agrawal and Jagdambika Pal.
The Privileges Committee is tasked with examining complaints of breach of privilege by lawmakers against officials or fellow MPs. It holds the authority to recommend disciplinary action, including suspension or expulsion, depending on the severity of the violation.
Officials emphasized that the constitution of the committee reinforces parliamentary procedures aimed at safeguarding the dignity, freedom, and authority of the House and its members.
