KOCHI: Responding to the controversy surrounding the private bill presented in Parliament seeking to change the capital of Kerala from Thiruvananthapuram to Kochi, MP Hibi Eden said that private bills are within the prerogative of a Member of Parliament and are intended to spark ideas and encourage debate.
He was speaking to the media at the Kochi Airport after returning from London on Saturday.
“This bill was leaked from the Chief Minister’s office after conspiring with BJP, which is in power at the centre,” alleged Hibi. “Private bills are the prerogative of an elected representative. It can be submitted without consulting the party,” he said, adding that the private bills are intended to promote ideas and encourage discussion rather than seek immediate government decisions or approvals.
“Not every private bill is discussed in Parliament. They are selected on a draw basis. It is true that in the case of this bill, an unnecessary controversy has arisen,” said Hibi.
He acknowledged that several private bills are submitted, but he questioned how many of them are leaked to the public. The leakage of this particular bill is a mystery.
Hibi stressed the need to protect the privacy of the bill’s nature, which is submitted to the central government and notified in Parliament. He stated that discussions about the bill should only take place in the media after its presentation in Parliament. Hibi added that it is widely known how such bills tend to leak to the media from the Chief Minister’s office.
Hibi further alleged that the ruling party saw the bill as an opportunity to divert attention from the controversies surrounding the state government. He believed that a deliberate effort was made to generate discussion on the bill and leak it to the media, with no ulterior motives beyond that.