New Delhi: Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu Monday suspended eight opposition members for a week for their “gross disorderly conduct” during the passage of the farm bills Sunday.
Naidu also refused to admit the no-confidence motion moved by 46 opposition members against Deputy Chairman Harivansh on the ground that it was not in proper format.
The suspended members are Trinamool Congress leaders Derek O’ Brien and Dola Sen, Congress’ Rajeev Satav, Ripun Bora and Syed Nasir Hussain, Aam Aadmi Party’s Sanjay Singh, and CPI(M)’s Elamaram Kareem and K.K. Ragesh.
“It was a bad day for Rajya Sabha yesterday when some members came to the well of the House. The deputy chairman was physically threatened. He was obstructed from doing his duty. This is unfortunate and condemnable and has brought disrepute to Rajya Sabha, which is also called the House of the Elders. I suggest to MPs, please do some introspection,” Naidu said in the House soon after Zero Hour was over.
Naidu’s announcement was followed by slogan-shouting by the opposition benches, forcing him to adjourn the House for an hour.
On Sunday, the Rajya Sabha saw unprecedented uproar over the passage of the two contentious farm bills, with the opposition MPs alleging that the deputy chairman did not listen to their request to vote. Opposition members had rushed to the well of the House shouting slogans and hurling papers at the deputy chairman. TMC leader Derek O’Brien rushed to where the deputy chairman was sitting and showed him the rule book.
Calling the incident unfortunate, Naidu said, “I observed that the deputy chairman had persistently requested the members to go to their seats and participate in the debate and move amendments. Obviously in view of the continuous disruption of the House, the division (of votes) could not take place. Certainly the conduct of some members crossed the barriers of parliamentary decorum.”
No-confidence motion not admitted
Rejecting the no-confidence motion against the deputy chairman moved by 46 opposition MPs led by leader of the opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, Naidu said the motion was not admissible as it was not in proper format.
“As per provisions of Article 90C of the Constitution, a notice period of 14 days is required for moving a resolution. As the House is going to be adjourned sine die on October 1 as per the present schedule, the notice does not complete the period of 14 days,” Naidu said.
Also read: Conduct of Opposition members in Rajya Sabha ‘shameful’, says Rajnath Singh