TWELVE Opposition members in Rajya Sabha, including Congress MP Chhaya Verma, Shiv Sena’s Priyanka Chaturvedi and TMC’s Dola Sen were on Monday suspended for the remaining part of the Winter Session for their misconduct and unruly behaviour during the last session. Among the suspended members, six are from the Congress, two each from the TMC and Shiv Sena and one each from the CPM and the CPI. The Upper House had witnessed ugly scenes when the Opposition members were protesting against the three farm bills during Monsoon session.

 

The six suspended members from the Congress are - Phulo Devi Netam, Chhaya Verma, Ripun Bora, Rajamani Patel, Syed Nasir Hussain and Akhilesh Prasad Singh. Priyanka Chaturvedi and Anil Desai of the Shiv Sena, Dola Sen and Shanta Chhetri of TMC, Elamaram Kareem from CPM and Binoy Viswam from CPI are the other members suspended for the rest of the session. Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh announced the suspension of the members and adjourned the House till Tuesday. Look forward to ‘new normal’ marked by decency, decorum: Naidu to RS members: On the first day of the Winter Session of Parliament on Monday, Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu said he was looking forward to a “new normal” marked by decency and decorum in the Upper House and the way forward is to opt for dialogue and debate instead of disruption.

 

Welcoming the members to the 255th session of the Upper House, he asked them to draw lessons from the “bitter and unpleasant” experience of the previous session and asserted that he has suggested the government to reach out to the Opposition members and take them into confidence on legislations that they intend to take up. Even the Opposition leaders should also understand in that spirit and both must move on, Naidu said. Complimenting frontline workers in their efforts to curb the coronavirus pandemic, Naidu said people should not lower their guards amid a surge in new cases being reported from different parts of the world and emerging new strains of the virus posing a challenge.