RS: Opposition Continues Ruckus On Suspension Of MPs

The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday adjourned for the day amid pandemonium created by the Opposition leaders on various issues, including revocation of suspension of 12 MPs.

It was the fourth adjournment of the Upper House during its four-hour-long proceedings that started at 11 am.
The final adjournment was announced a few minutes after the House met at 3 pm and Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat resumed his speech on the need for the safety of dams across the country.

Shekhawat was speaking in favour of the ‘Dam Safety Bill, 2019’, which he moved earlier in the day for its consideration and passage.

Even as the minister was speaking, the Opposition, including Congress, Left, AAP and DMK, created a ruckus in the House seeking revocation of the suspension of 12 MPs.

Opposition party members including Congress, DMK, AAP and Left demonstrated their protest by standing in the House during the proceeding and raising slogans. A few members of the House trooped into the well of the House along with TRS MPs. Other Opposition parties sought revocation of suspension of 12 MPs while TRS was demanding national policy on food procurement. The TRS was also displayed placards raising its demand in the House.

Assam MP Bhubaneswar Kalita, who was on the Chair, requested the members to maintain the decorum of the House and let it settle, assuring to give them a chance to speak.

“Let the House be in order. You should maintain decorum. It (the way you are protesting) is not sending a good message in public. I will allow you to speak when there will be silence and decorum in the House. Let the Minister finish his speech first…,” said Kalita from the Chair.

As the Opposition did not take his suggestion seriously and continued their protest, Kalitha adjourned the House for the day announcing the next meeting at 11 am on Thursday.

Earlier the House saw two adjournments — first till 12 noon, second till 2 pm and the third till 3 pm following ruckus over suspension of 12 Members of the House for the remainder of the ongoing Winter Session.

The Rajya Sabha on Tuesday also faced similar protests by the Opposition over the suspension of 12 Members of the House.

Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Nadu on Tuesday had said that the suspension of these members was “in order to protect the democracy” and that “it was the decision of the House and not of the Chair”.

In a move that angered the Opposition and set the stage for acrimonious exchanges, a dozen members of Opposition parties in Rajya Sabha were suspended from the winter session on the very first day on Monday following a motion brought in by the government.

The members were suspended for alleged unruly conduct towards the end of the monsoon session in August when marshals were called after Opposition members stormed the Well of the House during the passage of the General Insurance Business (Nationalisation) Amendment Bill, 2021.

The suspended members comprise six from the Congress, two each from Trinamool Congress and Shiv Sena, and one each from CPI and CPM: Phulo Devi Netam, Chhaya Verma, Ripun Bora, Rajamani Patel, Syed Nasir Hussain and Akhilesh Prasad Singh of Congress; Dola Sen, Shanta Chhetri of Trinamool Congress; Priyanka Chaturvedi, Anil Desai of Shiv Sena; Elamaram Kareem of CPM; and, Binoy Viswam of CPI.

Earlier on Wednesday, The Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 12 noon following opposition parties’ uproar on various issues when the Rajya Sabha Chairman adopted the motion moved by the government regarding the selection of one member from amongst the Members of the Upper House to be a member of Court of the University of Allahabad.

Soon after the House assembled for the day at 11 am, papers were laid on the table and 10 reports of the department related parliamentary standing committee on Science and Technology, Environment, Forest and Climate Change were tabled.

Besides, six reports of the department related parliamentary standing committee on Communications and Information Technology (2021-2022), and three reports of the department-related parliamentary standing committee on Chemicals and Fertilisers were also tabled. (ANI)