Assam: MLA suspended for using Facebook live to telecast his assembly speech

Guwahati: Assam assembly speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami on Monday suspended AIUDF legislator Aminul Islam for three days for telecasting his own speech using Facebook Live while discussing the private member resolutions.

Goswami in his ruling said, “Aminul Islam is suspended till February 8. I request Islam to leave the House immediately.”

He added, “It is a matter of great regret. The Ethics Committee recommended suspension of the member for a specific period during the current session. I have accepted its recommendation.”

Islam had used social media on Friday to telecast his speech on private member’s resolution on resolving the immigrant problem of the state. He left the House soon after the speaker pronounced his ruling.

However, he admitted that it was his mistake so he accepted the ruling of the speaker. “I would like to request the speaker to make arrangement for telecasting the entire proceedings of the state assembly,” said Islam adding, “I have received hundreds of letters and emails from my constituency. Our voters want to see as to what we are doing in the assembly.”

Earlier, the speaker while pronouncing his ruling clarified he had received complaints from several members, including the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, about the incident on February 3 during the ongoing Budget Session.

“After that, my office submitted a video footage to me. It was a clear case of breach of Model Code of Conduct. I requested the Ethics Committee to inquire into it and submit a report to me by February 6,” he added.

The ethics committee in its recommendation also referred that a similar incident had taken place in the Lok Sabha on July 26, 2016 and the Speaker had taken a strong action against the member concerned.