Ruckus as eight MPs suspended

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 21

The Rajya Sabha today suspended eight Opposition MPs for the remainder of monsoon session for their yesterday’s unprecedented display of aggression, including threat of physical harm and use of abusive language for Deputy Chairman of the House Harivansh Singh, during the passage of two farm Bills.

‘Please introspect’

It is a bad day for Rajya Sabha... Is dancing in the House, tearing papers and throwing rule book at the Deputy Chairman parliamentary conduct? — M Venkaiah Naidu, Rajya Sabha Chairman

Derek O’Brien and Dola Sen (TMC), Rajeev Satav, Ripun Bora and Syed Naseer Hussain (Congress), KK Ragesh and Elamaram Kareem (CPM) and Sanjay Singh (AAP) were suspended for their “unruly behaviour, especially with the Chair, and gross disorderly conduct”. The motion in this regard was moved by the government and approved by a voice vote.

• Edit: Disdainful haste

The suspended members, however, refused to leave the House, which witnessed multiple adjournments, leading to a washout of the day’s proceedings. They later launched an indefinite dharna near the Mahatma Gandhi’s statue, seeking revocation of their suspension. Resenting the decision, Opposition members said those penalised should have been given a chance to explain.

House Chairman Venkaiah Naidu also rejected notices given by 46 members, including Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, to bring a no-confidence motion against the Deputy Chairman for “not following” the due procedure for the passage of farm Bills. Their grouse was that physical voting and division of votes were not allowed.

Rejecting the notices, Naidu said he had checked the record and found no merit in grievances of the Opposition. The Deputy Chairman had said he would allow voting and division of votes, if they (the protesting MPs) went to their seats and allowed order in the House, he said.

The House witnessed chaos after the suspension of eight Opposition MPs. Opposition members resorted to sloganeering in the Well and disrupted proceedings of the House.

Before the motion for the suspension of MPs was introduced, House Chairman Venkaiah Naidu said, “I am pained at what happened yesterday. It defies logic.” He said members threw papers, wrenched mics away, “physically threatened” and abused the Deputy Chairman.

“It is a bad day for Rajya Sabha... I am naming Mr Derek O’Brien. Please go out of the House,” Naidu said while naming the other suspended members.

He asked members if dancing in the House, tearing papers and throwing rule book at the Deputy Chairman was parliamentary conduct. “Please introspect,” Naidu said.

Leaders of 13 Opposition parties later held a meeting in the office of Leader of Opposition and prepared a common floor strategy for tomorrow.

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