New Delhi: The suspension of 12 MPs – for “misbehaviour” on August 11, the last day of the previous session – will not be lifted, Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu said Tuesday morning, in response to furious demands from the opposition.
The suspension will remain as the MPs “haven’t expressed remorse”, Naidu said. “Suspended MPs have not expressed remorse. I am not considering the appeal of Leader of Opposition (the Congress’ Mallikarjun Kharge). Suspension will not be revoked,” he said.
Minutes earlier Kharge argued the government’s move to suspend the MPs (the list includes six from the Congress) was “selective” and against the rules. “I request you to revoke suspension of 12 opposition MPs… have been suspended selectively,” he said.
“Every Member should be allowed to make a Point of Order… Rule says Chairman has to take name of MP first and then a Question has to be made prior to suspension. Then a Motion for Suspension can be moved. This has to be on the day of the incident. In the present case, none of the MPs were named before the motion,” he explained.
After Naidu said the suspension of the MPs would stand, the opposition staged a walkout, in which they were joined by the Trinamool Congress. Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s party – widely seen as making a run at the 2024 general election – had stayed away from a joint meeting of opposition leaders earlier today. Mr Naidu said the opposition had “every right to walk out”. “In a democracy… in Parliament… they (the opposition) can walk out (but) House must function.”
The Rajya Sabha Chairman also shut down complaints that there is no precedent on action being taken against MPs for actions in a previous session. Rule 256, under which the 12 have been suspended, says a MP can be suspended “for a period not exceeding the remainder of the session”.
Earlier 16 parties – not including the Trinamool – met Naidu. They said that if the suspension is not revoked, they intend to boycott today’s session of the Rajya Sabha. The 16 are the Congress, Tamil Nadu’s DMK and MDMK, the Shiv Sena and the NCP, the CPM and CPI, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Indian Union Muslim League, the LJD, J&K’s National Conference, the RSP, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti, the Kerala Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party, and the VCK.
There have also been protests in the Lok Sabha over this issue. Several opposition parties, including the Trinamool, have also walked out after members of the TRS protested in the Well.
With inputs from NDTV
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