A day after Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Shantanu Sen snatched and tore IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw’s Pegasus statement on the floor of Rajya Sabha, he has been suspended from the upper house for the remaining period of the monsoon session.
According to the reports, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs V Muraleedharan moved a motion for Sen’s suspension on Friday. The motion was passed by a voice vote leading to his suspension.
After suspending TMC MP Santanu Sen from the Rajya Sabha for the rest of the monsoon session, Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu asked him to leave the house.
Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, the presiding officer of the upper house, said that he was deeply distressed by the course of events in House on Thursday.
Santanu Sen, please withdraw from House. Allow the House to function: says RS Chairman & adjourns House till 12 PM following an uproar that started during TMC MP Derek O’Brien’s statement over y’day’s incident
— ANI (@ANI) July 23, 2021
TMC’s Santanu Sen y’day snatched paper from hands of IT Min & tore it pic.twitter.com/rbOeR0vvZD
“Unfortunately, proceedings of the House hit a new low with papers being snatched from the Minister and torn into pieces. Such actions are a clear assault on our Parliamentary democracy,” RS Chairman Venkaiah Naidu said.
Meanwhile, the TMC members in Rajya Sabha protested against the decision of the house and claimed that the motion was brought without listing it in the day’s business.
TMC MP snatches paper from IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, tears it down
On Thursday, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Santanu Sen had snatched papers from Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and tore them to bits as he rose to address the Pegasus snoop gate controversy.
The TMC members, along with Congress and other opposition party members, had rushed into the well of the House as the minister was called to make a statement on the Pegasus snooping row. As they were protesting, Sen snatched the papers, tore them into pieces and threw them at the presiding officer’s chair.