All eight MPs, including Trinamool leader Derek O’Brien and Sanjay Singh of the Aam Aadmi partyHowever, they continued with their protests and refused to leave the Chamber despite repeated instructions from the presidency. It led to multiple postponements, and the proceedings were washed out with no transactions taking place on Monday.
The other MPs are Rajeev Satav, Syed Nasir Hussain and Ripun Bora from Congress, Dola Sen from Trinamool, and KK Ragesh and Elamaram Kareem from CPM. Expressing deep anguish, Naidu said: “It hurt a lot because what happened (during the passage of the agricultural laws on Sunday) was unfortunate, unacceptable and reprehensible. It was a very bad day for the Rajya Sabha.”
He said that some members, violating all Covid-19 physical distancing rules, came to the Chamber well, climbed on the secretary general’s table and broke microphones, while also throwing papers and the rule book at the vice president. “Are these parliamentary standards?” I ask.
While the opposition decided to protest the suspensions and call the president Ram Nath Kovind, this is the second suspension of its kind for a significant number of deputies in recent years. In 2010, seven MPs, four from the Samajwadi Party, one from JD (U), RJD and LJP, were suspended for altercations during the approval of the women’s reserve bill. The code of conduct adopted by the Chamber in 2005 sets out several guidelines regarding the behavior of members.
Naidu said Harivansh later informed him that he was abused with objectionable words, physically threatened, and may have also been hurt. “If the sheriffs had not been called in time, what would have happened to the vice president? I am concerned,” he added.
If the opposition, who wanted to vote on a resolution to send the two farm bills to a select committee, had the numbers, they should have voted. The vice president repeatedly asked members to take their seats, participate in the debate and present amendments. “Obviously, in view of the continued disruption, the split could not have taken place,” Naidu said.
He also rejected the resolution proposed by opposition leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and 46 other members for the removal of Harivansh because it was not in the proper format and without the required 14-day notice.
The Minister of State for parliamentary affairs, V Muraleedharan, presented a motion for the suspension of the eight deputies for serious disorderly conduct, especially with the presidency, and “discrediting” the House. It was adopted by voice vote amid continued opposition protests.
The protesting MPs, however, did not leave the Chamber despite being asked by Naidu to do so. O’Brien, in fact, earlier in the proceedings had also refused to leave the House after Naidu appointed him.
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