M. Venkaiah Naidu, the Chairman of Rajya Sabha, on Tuesday rejected the opposition’s appeal for revocation of suspension of 12 MPs.
“I am not considering the appeal of Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge to revoke suspension of 12 MPs as the suspended MPs have not apologised and are justifying their behaviour,” he noted.
Following Naidu’s denial, the opposition members staged a walk-out from the Rajya Sabha assembly.
Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge had raised the issue of revocation of suspension under rule 256 stating that the decision to bar the legislators for the rest of the winter session ran counter to the rules of the procedure of rules.
“The Members have been suspended over a conduct which occurred in the previous session and is against the rules of the House,” the LoP said, adding that the question of apologising does not arise.
However, the RS chairman pointed out that the House has adopted the motion and on the day of occurrence, the MPs were named by the Chair.
With the exception of TMC, other opposition parties met at Kharge’s office to cobble up a strategy to make the RS chairman rescind on the decision. However, they were left red-faced after Naidu turned down their appeal to revoke the suspension.
Even as the Opposition parties were seeking to invalidate the suspension order, Derek O’Brien of TMC justified the unparliamentary conduct of the MPs, alleging that they were compelled to resort to such a behaviour in Monsoon session as certain issues were not being brought up for discussion despite repeated requests. “Not the 12 Opposition MPs but the 80 MPs of treasury should be suspended,” he asserted.
12 MPs suspended over unruly behaviour, manhandling security personnel in last session
The Rajya Sabha on the first day of its business in the Winter Session suspended12 MPs, including Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi and Trinamool MP Dola Sen, for the remaining part of the current session. The MPs have been suspended for misconduct and unruly behaviour in the house.
These suspended MPs include six from the Congress party, two members from the Shiv Sena, two from the Trinamool Congress and the other two from the CPM and CPI respectively. They will not be allowed in Rajya Sabha in the Winter Session.
The names include Priyanka Chaturvedi (Shiv Sena), Dola Sen (TMC), Elamaram Kareem (CPM), Phulo Devi Netam (INC), Chhaya Verma (INC), Ripun Bora (INC), Binoy Viswam (CPI), Rajamani Patel (INC), Shanta Chhetri (TMC), Syed Nasir Hussain (INC), Anil Desai (Shiv Sena), Akhilesh Prasad Singh (INC).
