Most Members of Parliament are not respectable: Kejriwal(update: Kejriwal)

Kaushambi (Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh), mar.30 (ANI): Most Members of Parliament (MPs) are not respectable, said Team Anna member and Right to Information (RTI) activist Arvind Kejriwal on Friday, adding that he would gladly receive and respond to the privilege notice sent to him by the parliamentarians.

Expressing no remorse or guilt for his so-called March 25 "derogatory" remarks against MPs, Kejriwal maintained that he stood by his claim that 162 parliamentarians, including 14 ministers, were corrupt and rapists.

On Friday, he told media persons that while he respects Parliament and holds it in high esteem, most of its current leaders are not respectable.

"We don't apologise about what we have said about parliamentarians. They (parliamentarians) have failed to answer questions raised by common people. If they want to punish me, they can, but it will not serve the purpose," Kejriwal said.

During the Team Anna censure-related debate held earlier this week, Janata Dal (United) chief Sharad Yadav said that while individual criticism was welcome, he could not accept the denigration or degradation of an august institution like parliament.

"I accept that some people, who should not have come, have been elected to the House... But don't forget that this institution also fights its war against corruption," he said, adding Parliament was the only institution that has sent its members to jail on corruption charges.

Yadav asked Speaker Meira Kumar "to protect the sanctity of this House" and "don't let people criticise this institution".

"Don't let people undermine this House," he said as other members thumped their desks in agreement.

Mulayam Singh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party demanded that Kejriwal should be called to the House and asked to explain his behaviour.

Many Members of Parliament asked Speaker Meira Kumar to move a resolution condemning Team Anna's unsavoury remarks made during their renewed anti-corruption agitation at Jantar Mantar last Sunday.

The censure motion, if adopted and voted by a majority in the House, would have meant a severe criticism of Team Anna members with them being named, but they would not have to be called to the House as under a privilege motion. (ANI)