London: Keith Vaz, Britain's longest serving Indian-origin MP who had quit as the chairman of Home Affairs Committee of parliament in September following accusations of his alleged involvement with male prostitutes and drugs, has been elected to join the Justice Committee of the House of Commons.
According to a report in the Hindustan Times, Vaz was voted by lawmakers despite a conservative MP's bid to block him.
Attempting to halt Vaz's selection in the committee, Andrew Bridgen said, "An allegation in the Sunday Mirror, with supporting video footage, implied (Vaz) had offered to purchase class A drugs while using the services of escorts. And yet here we are only a relatively few weeks later and the same member is seeking a position on the prestigious and influential Justice Committee while matters relating to his recent resignation remain. A potential police investigation still hangs over him."
"I think it'd be a huge mistake for this House to place him in a position on the Justice Committee when he has so many questions to answer," he added.
Vaz, who is married and has two children, had been accused of meeting two male prostitutes from eastern Europe at his London flat last month. He had allegedly told the escorts to get the party drug known as "poppers" and was also quoted as discussing the possibility of paying for cocaine at a future meeting, but added that he would not take the drug himself.
Following the series of accusations, he had stepped aside as chair of the influential House of Commons Home Affairs Committee, which he had headed for the past 10 years. However, he recently emerged as a member of the Justice Committee of the House of Commons with the backing of his Labour Party.
