Trinamool’s Derek O’Brien has been suspended from the Rajya Sabha for the rest of the Monsoon Session for “unruly behaviour and disregarding the directions of the Chair”, House Chairman and Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar announced today.
The TMC leader sought to speak under the pretext of raising a point of order and when the chairman asked him to point to the rule he was wanting to speak on, O’Brien said 267 — the rule under which the opposition has been seeking a discussion on the Manipur issue since the start of the Monsoon session on July 20.
The Leader of the House and Union Minister Piyush Goyal thereafter moved a motion for suspending the Trinamool leader for the rest of the Monsoon session.
No sooner had Mr Goyal got up than Trinamool MPs rushed to the well, shouting slogans.
Mr Dhankhar said Derek O’Brien has been suspended for the remainder of the Monsoon session, which ends on August 11.
On Monday, Mr Dhankhar accused Derek O’Brien of doing “theatrics” in the House to gain publicity during a heated debate on the Delhi services bill.
Mr Dhankhar’s outburst came after the TMC member refused to confine his speech to the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and unleashed a litany of allegations against the central government.
“This has become your habit. You are doing this as part of a strategy. You think you will enjoy publicity outside. You ravaged this House. Sit down,” the chairman told O’Brien.
“Your demeanour was ignoble, does not justify the position you hold. You have upset the decorum of the ecosystem….of House. You have done it on purpose,” Mr Dhankhar added.
Derek O’Brien’s suspension comes on a day when the Parliament is scheduled to take up a no-confidence motion against the Narendra Modi-led government. The Lok Sabha will hold a debate on the motion, with a no-trust vote expected on Wednesday or Thursday.
