London:
The Privileges Committee of Britain's House of Lords has recommended suspension for varying periods on three members of Asian-origin including Lord Swraj Paul, despite finding that he had not acted "dishonestly or in bad faith" in claiming certain allowances.
Bangladesh-born Baroness Manzila Pola Uddin faces suspension for about 18 months, besides being asked to repay a sum of over 125,000 pounds, Lord Amirali Alibhai Bhatia for 8 months and Lord Paul for 4 months for claiming allowances which are paid to MPs who show their residences outside London.
The recommendations will be debated by the House on October 21 before it takes a final decision.
The committee said about Lord Paul "We do not feel justified in finding, on the balance of probabilities, that Lord Paul acted dishonestly or in bad faith. However, his actions were utterly unreasonable and demonstrated gross irresponsibility and negligence."
Paul said in a statement after the report of the Committee for Privileges and Conduct was made public that his "honesty and integrity" had been upheld and yet he had been treated "harshly".
He recalled when a newspaper had published allegations against him a year back, he himself had requested an investigation and had voluntarily and immediately repaid about 40,000 pounds which he had claimed in 2005-2006.
Moreover, the police had decided that there was no case for him to answer.
The NRI industrialist said that the rules for such allowances had been clarified and modified only in July this year. He expressed the view that the Committee cannot apply "perspective and standards" of 2010 to the rules operating in 2005.
"I am disappointed that I seem to have been treated more harshly than others" he said, with reference to how the cases of some other members have been dealt with.
Yet, he said, he has accepted the Committee's decision in the best tradition of parliamentary democracy. Lord Bhatia has also maintained that he acted properly in claiming the allowance. However, earlier this month he had repaid about 27,000 pounds claimed by him earlier.