New Delhi: Eight opposition MPs in Rajya Sabha, including TMC leader Derek O’Brien and Sanjay Singh of AAP, were on Monday suspended for the remainder of the Monsoon session of Parliament for “unruly behaviour” during the passage of two farm bills, leading to protests and washing out of proceedings.
The suspended members refused to leave the House which witnessed multiple adjournments.
A motion for the suspension of the eight including Rajeev Satav, Syed Nasir Hussain and Ripun Bora (all Cong), Dola Sen (TMC), KK Ragesh and Elamaram Kareen (all CPM) was moved by the government and approved by a voice vote in the House.
This came after Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu rejected a notice for a no-confidence motion against deputy chairman Harivansh as it was not in proper format and did not give a 14-day notice period.
Opposition members, objecting to the manner in which the farm bills were being passed, had on Sunday stormed the well of the House and when their demand for voting wasn’t met, they tore papers, climbed on tables, shouted slogans, and even threw the rule book at Harivansh, who was presiding at that time.
Condemning their behaviour, Naidu said Harivansh had later informed him that he was “abused with objectionable words” and “would have been harmed also.”
Soon after the House adopted by voice vote the motion for the suspension of eight MPs, the Chairman asked them to leave the House but they continued to say, protesting against the ruling.
Earlier when Naidu was condemning their behaviour on Sunday, few opposition MPs raised a point of order and contested his version. Naidu asked them not to disturb but when Derek O’Brien persisted, the chariman said he was naming him.
When an MP is named by the presiding officer, he has to withdraw from proceedings of the House for the rest of the day.
After the motion for suspending 8 MPs was adopted, he called for taking up of call attention motion on GST compensation to states where O’Brien, Ragesh, and Kareem were listed as movers.
But with members protesting, he moved on to the next listed business saying they were not interested.
However, none of the 8 members suspended left the House and instead protested. They were joined by other opposition MPs, leading to frequent adjournments and ultimately washing out proceedings without transacting any business. (PTI)