Scams and controversies marked 14th Lok Sabha

New Delhi: The 14th Lok Sabha will go down in history as one of the most contentious ever. From cash for votes to cash for questions, one scam after another followed it around.

During the trust vote three MPs flashed bundles of notes alleging they were offered bribe to vote in favour of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government.

In the end the UPA won the trust vote, but Parliament lost honour and credibility and cash for votes recorded unsavoury money transactions and showed the MPs in a very poor light

In another major embarrassment, Operation Duryodhan or the Cash for Questions, a sting operation caught, showed 11 MPs red-handed accepting cash to ask questions in the House.

Operation Chakravyuha revealed how elected representatives misuse MP Local Area Development Funds.

A few MPs were also found involved even in petty immigration rackets.

Each of these issues exploded in Parliament. And so MPs couldn't but take offence when Indian ambassador to the US called them headless chicken in the middle of the Indo-US nuclear deal standoff.

Then there were other propriety issues, especially when the Election Commission dropped the Office of Profit bombshell.

So, did Sonia Gandhi really occupy an office of profit? Sonia was definitely the NAC chairperson, but she pre-empted scrutiny by resigning herself.

Controversy didn't end there. It happened every day and the recurring motif of the 14th Lok Sabha was pandemonium, unruly adjournments, and the Speaker trying his best to get a grip over proceedings.

MPs forgot that even a minute's loss costs the exchequer Rs 26,000 and a minimum of Rs 10 crore were lost in the past five years.

This was one more session where legislative business was secondary, it was a session marked by deals, shady and underhand.

The 14th Lok Sabha will be remembered for the worst possible reason as 40 MPs were expelled for misdemeanour.

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#Lok Sabha #Cash for votes #trust vote #Cash for Questions