The Rajya Sabha on Monday suspended eight members, including All India Trinamool Congress (or TMC) leader Derek O'Brien, a day after the House witnessed ruckus while the Opposition protested during the passage of Farm bills. The MPs were told that they displayed “unruly behaviour especially with the Chair and gross disorderly conduct".
The House suspended Derek O'Brien and Dola Sen of TMC, Rajeev Satav, Ripun Bora, Nasir Hussain of Congress, Sanjay Singh of AAP and KK Ragesh and E Kareem of CPI(M).
On Sunday, the House witnessed unruly scenes when Derek O'Brien approached the Chair and tried to snatch a mike while citing from the rule book. When his objections were overruled, an aggressive O'Brien tore the rule book by calling the Bills "Kala Kanoon" or black laws, leading to adjournment of the House for a brief period.
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The Trinamool leader was also heard saying, "You cannot do this" to the Chair. At one point in time, the aides of the Deputy Chair Harivansh Singh, who was conducting the House proceedings, had to come forward to shield him.
The members resorted to sloganeering after the resolution was moved by voice vote in the Rajya Sabha.
The opposition forced three adjournments of the Upper House within an hour on Monday after the eight Rajya Sabha members were suspended, including because of the MPs’ refusal to leave the House.
Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu also rejected a notice for no-confidence motion against deputy chairman Harivansh on the grounds that proper procedure was not followed. On Sunday, 12 Opposition parties gave a notice for a no-confidence motion against Harivansh over the manner in which two Farm Bills were passed after he overruled their pleas for an adjournment of the proceedings.
Naidu also condemned the unruly behaviour and "threats" to Harivansh during the passage of the farm bills.
Shortly thereafter, Parliamentary Affairs Ministers read out a motion seeking suspension of eight members for the remainder of the session. Naidu put the motion to vote and it was carried by voice vote.
However, opposition members protested against the decision, leading to adjournment.
Two key Farm Bills were passed on Sunday by the Rajya Sabha with voice vote amid unprecedented unruly scenes by protesting opposition members who were demanding that the proposed legislation be referred to a House panel for greater scrutiny.
With inputs from agencies