Dissident Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav (pictured) and other Opposition leaders want Rajya Sabha Chairman
M Venkaiah Naidu to refer the plea from Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led JD (U) to disqualify Yadav to the House Ethics Committee.
Among the non-Congress Opposition leaders, Yadav has been one of the prominent critics of the Modi government in the Rajya Sabha. Until the last Parliament session, Yadav occupied a seat in the front row of the Opposition benches. His neighbours were Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati, Communist Party of India (Marxist) chief Sitaram Yechury and Samajwadi Party’s Ram Gopal Yadav.
Mayawati has resigned from the Rajya Sabha and Yechury has retired after completing two terms. Now, Yadav could be disqualified too.
However, Opposition leaders find it intriguing that when even the case of Vijay Mallya’s disqualification was referred to the Ethics Committee, which comprises representatives from MPs of all leading parties in the House, why is it that there is a delay in referring Yadav’s case also to the Committee.
Yadav has a long record as a parliamentarian. He was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1974.