Opposition MPs plan privilege motion against ex-CJI Ranjan Gogoi over remarks during interview

New Delhi: Former Chief Justice of India and Rajya Sabha member Ranjan Gogoi could face charges of breach of privilege as some Opposition MPs, including Trinamool’s Jawhar Sircar and Mausam Noor, are preparing to move a privilege motion against him for his recent comments in a TV interview.

An Opposition leader who asked not to be named said that Sircar has submitted a notice to the secretary general of the Rajya Sabha to this effect, and talks are on between different Opposition parties to take it forward. According to the rules, a privilege motion can only be moved if it has a support of at least 25 MPs.

Gogoi , nominated to the Upper House by President Ram Nath Kovind in March 2020, said in the interview, “The point is I go to the Rajya Sabha when I feel like, when I think there are matters of importance on which I should speak.”

One Opposition member pointed out that Gogoi indicated that members can the Rajya Sabha only after RT-PCR tests, and that he was personally not very comfortable with that.

“He also said, ‘I am a nominated member, right. I am not governed by any party whip. And therefore, whenever the bell rings for party members to come, that does not bind me I go there at my choice and I come out at my choice. I am an independent member of the House.’ This is unexpected from a person like him,” the member added.

Gogoi was present in the House on Monday. Sircar and Noor declined to comment on the move.