Congress MP Rajani Patil suspended from Rajya Sabha for recording House proceedings, Bhagwant Mann precedent cited
Aditi Tandon
New Delhi, February 10
Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday suspended Congress MP Rajani Patil for the current Budget Session over videography of House proceedings during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reply to the President’s Address yesterday.
Dhankhar, while referring the matter to the privileges committee, said a strong prima facie case had emerged to suspend Patil till the panel’s final advice came.
The action followed a 2016 precedent involving then Sangrur MP and incumbent Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann who was suspended from the tenth session of 16th Lok Sabha on December 9, 2016, for live-streaming Parliament security procedures on his Facebook.
The clip Rajani Patil videographed also landed on Twitter.
Patil’s suspension came after Dhankhar named Patil following Leader of the House Piyush Goyal’s mention of the July 2022 ruling by then-House Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu warning MPs against filming of House proceedings in an act that lowered the dignity of the Rajya Sabha
After Goyal’s sought appropriate action for unauthorised publication of House proceedings which, he said, “mainly showed principal Opposition’s MPs in poor light”, BJP’s GVL Narsimha Rao moved a motion on suspension of the Congress MP from the remainder of the Session.
Chairman later, citing the 2016 precedent of Mann, suspended Patil, who is Congress in-charge of J&K.
Opposition leaders across parties Congress, Left, RJD, SP and TMC opposed the instant suspension, calling for a committee to probe the matter first. Most of them also alleged bias in parliamentary reporting by the Rajya Sabha TV.
Another point of contention was Rule 256 of RS procedures which BJP’s Rao cited to seek Patil’s suspension.
“Rule 256 (1) says that the Chairman may, if he deems necessary, name a member who disregards his authority, and no direct disregard has happened here and abuses rules by persistently and wilfully obstructing the business thereof. Assuming there has been some error in this case, we have certainly not reached a stage of obstructing business persistently and wilfully. This apart from the fact that she is a first-time offender,” Congress’ Abhishek Singhvi said.
Dhankhar relied on two documents for his decision—the 2016 precedent and former Rajya Sabha chairman Naidu’s July 28, 2022, ruling which reads, “Some Members, despite clear instructions and warning, have tried to film the proceedings of the House and then given it to others. Such actions are totally prohibited. If anybody is found in possession of such things, he will be found guilty and action will be taken against him.”
Dhankhar further followed the 2016 procedure evolved with the event involving Mann in which the probe committee had concluded the following: “Bhagwant Mann, MP may be suspended for the remaining period of the current session i.e. the Tenth Session of 16th Lok Sabha. 157. The Committee would like to also impress upon MP Mann the utmost need for strict adherence to norms and standards of etiquette, due compliance of the Rules of Procedure and well settled rich traditions of the Parliament and the need to uphold the decorum and discreteness.”
