8 MPs suspended in RS; Venkaiah rejects no-confidence motion against Dy Chairman
   Date :22-Sep-2020

8 MPs suspended in RS_1&n
 Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu conducts proceedings in the Upper House during the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament in New Delhi on Monday. (RSTV/PTI)
 
 
NEW DELHI :
 
The suspended members refused to leave the House which witnessed multiple adjournments
 
Prasad slams Oppn leaders, says, their conduct in the Upper House was “shameful” and “irresponsible” 
 
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, prompting the suspended leaders to go on an indefinite sit-in inside Parliament complex. 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 Congress), Dola Sen (TMC), K K 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.”
 
The Government on Monday accused Opposition leaders of irresponsible conduct in the Rajya Sabha during the passage of the farm bills and said they violated rules by not vacating the House despite being suspended. Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the conduct of Opposition leaders in the Upper House of Parliament on Sunday was “shameful” and “irresponsible”. He was addressing a press conference with fellow Union Ministers Prahlad Joshi and Piyush Goyal on the pandemonium in the Upper House on Sunday and Monday. Opposition Rajya Sabha members despite being suspended did not leave the House on Monday which was an open violation of the rules, Prasad said.
 
“We had a clear majority in Rajya Sabha on farm bills,” he said, adding that 110 members supported the bills and a little over 70 opposed it. On the issue of certain Opposition members standing on the table in the Upper House, he said people of Bihar are pained at the treatment given in Rajya Sabha to its Deputy Chairman Harivansh on Sunday. Citing Congress’ election manifesto and statements by Chief Ministers of the States ruled by it, he accused the Opposition party of double standards on issues including contract farming and agriculture produce marketing committees.
 
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 stay, 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.
 
Soon after the Zero Hour, Naidu said he was “pained” at the happenings during the passage of The Farmer’s Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020. He said some members came to the well and hurled papers, rule book at the Deputy Chairman and abused him. Some members were “climbing on the Secretary General’s table, dancing, shouting in the well, tearing papers, breaking mikes, obstructing Deputy Chairman from his duties, throwing papers.” “Is it parliamentary standard,” he asked and told members to do some introspection.
 
The Chairman said Harivansh was physically threatened and, “if marshals had not been called on time what would have happened to the Deputy Chairman.” Such behaviour, he said, was “very unfortunate, unacceptable and condemnable” and one that “tarnished the image of Parliament”, particularly of the House of Elders. Naidu said if the Opposition, which wanted voting on a resolution to send the two bills to a select committee of the House, had numbers they should have voted. “Deputy Chairman (on Sunday) also stated that you please go to your seat he will conduct voting,” he said. Amid protests, the motion was passed by voice vote. Naidu asked suspended MPs to leave but they did not do so even when proceedings were adjourned.