TMC MP Derek O’Brien suspended from Rajya Sabha over ‘unruly behaviour’.
Derek O’Brien, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP, on Tuesday was suspended by Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar for the remainder of the current Monsoon session of Parliament session “for unruly behaviour unbecoming of a Member of Rajya Sabha”.
Leader of the House Piyush Goyal moved a motion for his suspension “for continuously disturbing the proceedings of the House, disobeying the Chair and continuously creating the disturbance in the House”.
Amid a massive ruckus after the suspension order, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 12 noon.
After the House took up the listed agenda, Dhankhar referred to the demand of opposition parties for discussion on the Manipur situation and said it had been on the agenda but did not fructify. Goyal said he will check the availability of Union home minister Amit Shah and if the opposition members are willing, the discussion can take place at 12 noon.
The chairman said he had indicated that the discussion on the Manipur situation can go much beyond two-and-a-half hours and the government and the home minister have indicated their willingness.
O’Brien stood up to raise a point of order. The chair cautioned him not to say anything except the point of order. The Trinamool Congress member apparently referred to the notices given by opposition parties for discussion under Rule 267.
The chairman then named O’Brien. Goyal moved a motion for suspending the TMC MP for the remainder of the monsoon session. He also said O’Brien raised slogans from near the Chair’s podium against the directions.
O’Brien’s suspension comes days after Dhankhar and the Trinamool Congress MP had a heated argument in the Upper House of Parliament. The chairman had accused O’Brien of making “engaging in theatrics” a habit, inviting a strong objection from O’Brien, who said he was quoting the rules of the House and demanding a serious discussion on Manipur.
The spat occurred when Dhankhar was addressing the members of the House and pointing out that the repeated disruptions in the House do not evoke respect among the people. He also spoke of how he was getting inputs from all over, indicating “alarming concern” over the situation in the House.
