The Hon. Ramanathan Archchuna

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, first a brief point of order under Standing Order 92(2)(a). Also, Standing Order 118(4) states: “The Committee shall also examine any matter referred to it in relation to a violation or non-adherence of the rules of the Code of Conduct of the Members of Parliament....” If a Member breaches the Code—such as intimidating or assaulting another—that is actionable. Yesterday, I was told by the Secretariat they would not act on obscene verbal abuse. Please read the Code of Conduct.

¶ 02 Now, my Privilege Question:

¶ 03 PRIVILEGE: USE OF OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE BY MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT AT DDC MEETING, JAFFNA

¶ 04 On 26 December, at the Jaffna District Coordinating Committee chaired by Hon. Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar, with Hon. Members Sivagnanam Shritharan and Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam present, during a discussion on handing over provincial hospitals to the central government, when I attempted to speak, Hon. Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, a Member of this House and a member of the Ethics and Privileges Committee, called me out and used highly obscene language in English and Tamil, linking it to my late mother who died of cancer, including the statement in English, “You have sexual intercourse with your mother who died of cancer,” and further alleged I had behaved obscenely towards my mother in hospital. He also referred to my seat in Parliament being placed near his, making obscene remarks about seating arrangements, thereby insulting Parliament.

¶ 05 This gross abuse undermines not only my privilege but the dignity and culture of the Tamil people. I request that this be referred to the Ethics and Privileges Committee and that, pending inquiry, he be removed from that Committee. I also request that my seat not be placed adjacent to his; I cannot be responsible for issues arising from such proximity.

¶ 06 Thank you. Hon. Speaker, please also respond to the matter I raised earlier regarding Sudatta—it has been a year.