With RJD chief Lalu Prasad taking a lead in demanding increase in salaries of MPs, JD(U), his arch-rival in poll-bound Bihar, today said lawmakers themselves pushing for such a hike affects the "credibility" of Parliament.
"MPs themselves speaking for rise in their salary is not correct. This affects the credibility of Parliament. Instead there should be a mechanism to review members' salaries periodically on the lines of a commission which does this for government servants," JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav said.
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar had said yesterday that the behaviour of MPs in Parliament over the issue of increasing their salaries was "gaucherie" and the manner in which it was done leaves a wrong impression about those in politics.
"Salary of MPs should be increased. Who says salary cannot be increased? But see what is the situation. What is the meaning of doing these things...this gaucherie," he told reporters.
RJD chief Lalu Prasad and SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav had held mock Parliament proceedings on Friday after the house was adjourned following an uproar demanding further pay hike for MPs.
"Such behaviour by some people (MPs) among whom was one leader from our Bihar to get it (salary) increased, has made (some) hang (their) heads in shame," Kumar said without naming Prasad yesterday.
Sharad Yadav said the government should constitute an independent mechanism on the lines of the Pay Commission for government servants to periodically review the salary of MPs and recommend hikes.
Yadav raised this demand in his meeting with finance minister Pranab Mukherjee yesterday.
JD(U) sources said the party would not like to be seen with Lalu's RJD, which is the main opposition in Bihar, on an issue which is inviting criticism and sparking controversy especially when elections are just a few months away.
Earlier, RJD and alliance partner LJP - led by Ram Vilas Paswan - decided not to join the opposition's Bharat Bandh on July 5 on the grounds that it would not like to be seen with ruling JD(U) in Bihar which was participating in the stir.
