NEW DELHI: Kerala MP Anirudhan Sampath moved a privilege notice against parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar on Wednesday, charging him with having “misled” the House on July 18, when Lok Sabha condemned the attack on Shashi Tharoor ’s office in Thiruvananthapuram last month.

Joining ranks with the Congress MP, Sampath alleged Kumar had not sought any information from the state government, and stated in Lok Sabha that law and order is a state subject. “The minister has not yet collected the information from the concerned state government, nor gone through the FIR. All arrested eight persons belong to BJP,” CPM MP from Attingal said.

He also objected to the parliamentary affairs minister’s statement that the attack was orchestrated by “CPM goons and criminals” and said that “unparliamentary words” should be withdrawn. “He has to make a correct statement on the floor of the House,” Sampath said.

On July 18, leaders cutting across parties had condemned the attack on Tharoor’s office, while Tharoor himself had blamed right-wing activists for issuing death threats to him and for vandalising his office. Tharoor also demanded action against “anti-national elements” and sought the Prime Minister’s intervention in the matter.

