Day before Parliamentary panel on IT discusses ‘data privacy and security’, BJP MPs stage walk out

NEW DELHI: All but one BJP MP on the Shashi Tharoor-led Parliamentary standing committee on Information technology walked out of the panel’s scheduled meeting on Tuesday, with some ruling party MPs claiming the House Panel meeting should not be convened when Parliament session is underway.
The assertion came on a day when at least four other committees, three of them chaired by BJP MPs, also met.
Sources said BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, apart from questioning the timing of the panel’s meeting, objected to its agenda being “circulated to the press” ahead of the panel meeting.
As per parliamentary procedure, the agenda for all committee meetings is uploaded on the Parliament website 7-10 days before a meeting is scheduled. According to Parliamentary procedure chairpersons of House panels routinely schedule meetings of committees during parliament sessions. Chairpersons, however, are mandated to break the meeting and allow members to leave in case any issue is put to vote in either House and a member is required to cast her vote.
Among BJP MPs who walked out from Tuesday meeting were Nishikant Dubey, Zafar Islam, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and Locket Chatterjee.
BJP MP Suresh Gopi, however, arrived late and sat through the meeting as it discussed the ‘Review of functioning of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC)’ relating to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in context of the draft 'Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, 2021’.
The committee is scheduled to discuss citizen’s data security and privacy on Wednesday, where issues like the ‘Sulli Deals’ app and the use of the Pegasus spyware against a cross section of people including journalists, members of the judiciary and political leaders, are expected to be discussed.
Tuesday’s discussion on the cinematograph amendment Bill saw submissions by actor-turned-filmmaker Kamal Haasan, the Producers Guild of India, CBFC chairman Prasoon Joshi, representatives of OTT platforms and Union information and broadcasting secretary Amit Khare.
Haasan, sources said, raised concerns over censorship and the Bill seeking a retrospective look at film certification. Hassan, along with the Producers Guild of India, also pointed to the huge financial implications of recertification for film makers, highlighting that this would imperil fortunes.
Khare, representing the government, is understood to have told the committee that a proposal to review and amend the Cinematograph Act, 1952 by the ministry is at consultation stage and no final view has been formed.