Opposition plots next move as 12 members suspended from RS for Winter Session
Twelve Opposition members in the Rajya Sabha, including Congress MP Chhaya Verma, Shiv Sena’s Priyanka Chaturvedi and TMC’s Dola Sen, were on Monday suspended for the remaining part of the Winter session for misconduct and unruly behaviour during the last session.
Condemning the “unwarranted and undemocratic” suspension, floor leaders of opposition parties in the Upper House said they will meet on Tuesday to deliberate on the future course of action to resist the government’s “authoritarian decision”.
Among the suspended members, six are from the Congress, two each from the TMC and Shiv Sena and one each from the CPM and the CPI.
“The leaders of the Opposition parties unitedly condemn the unwarranted and undemocratic suspension of 12 members in violation of all the rules of procedure of Rajya Sabha pertaining to suspension of members for the entire duration of the Winter session,” a joint statement by the parties read.
The Congress, DMK, SP, NCP, the Shiv Sena, RJD, CPI-Marxist, CPI, the Indian Union Muslim League, the Loktantrik Janada Dal, the JD-Secular, the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, TRS and the AAP are associated with the joint statement.
The Upper House had witnessed ugly scenes when the opposition members were protesting against the three farm bills during the Monsoon session.
The six suspended members from the Congress are – Phulo Devi Netam, Chhaya Verma, Ripun Bora, Rajamani Patel, Syed Nasir Hussain and Akhilesh Prasad Singh.
Priyanka Chaturvedi and Anil Desai of the Shiv Sena, Dola Sen and Shanta Chhetri of TMC, Elamaram Kareem from CPM and Binoy Viswam from CPI are the other members suspended for the rest of the session.
Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh announced the suspension of the members and adjourned the House till Tuesday.
“From district court to Supreme Court, an accused is heard even there, lawyers are provided for them too, sometimes government officials are sent to take their version. Here our version wasn’t taken,” Shiv Sena’s Chaturvedi was quoted as saying in media reports.
