Parliament Monsoon Session: The Opposition MPs of the Rajya Sabha held an overnight sit-in protest against the suspension of AAP MP Sanjay Singh for the current session of the Parliament as well as the Manipur issue. Congress MP Imran Pratapgarhi and Singh were seen in the video of the protest doing around on social media.
Earlier, Singh was suspended from the Upper House for the rest of the Monsoon session for repeatedly "violating" the directives of the Chair while protesting on the Manipur issue.
However, Opposition parties condemned the action against Singh and accused the government of trying to throttle their voice. The suspension came after Leader of the House Piyush Goyal moved a motion in this regard and it was adopted by voice vote.
Before that, Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar named Singh for his "unruly behaviour" and cautioned him. Singh had rushed to the well of the House and was pointing at the Chair while seeking a discussion on Manipur when he was cautioned.
Later, Opposition members raised the issue with the chairman and urged him to revoke the suspension.
They also walked out in protest and boycotted the meeting of floor leaders called by the Rajya Sabha chairman for discussions to end the deadlock over the issue of holding a debate on the Manipur situation.
Meanwhile, both Houses have failed to function ever since the commencement of the Monsoon session on July 20 over the Manipur issue as the Opposition is adamant on PM Modi's statement on the matter in Parliament.
When the House met at noon, opposition members were on their feet raising slogans and demanding that the prime minister make a statement in the House on Manipur.
Amid uproar by opposition members, the chairman announced that the Question Hour will be taken up.
Opposition members demanded that discussion should be held under Rule 267 after the prime minister makes a statement on Manipur in the House.
The Question Hour continued for a few minutes amid the din, when Singh moved into the well and pointed at the chairman.
He was first asked to go back to his seat. When he did not, Dhankhar said, "I name Sanjay Singh". An MP named by the Chair has to withdraw from proceedings of the House for the rest of the day.
Soon, Goyal got up and said he wanted to move a motion to suspend Singh. "This kind of behaviour...and disturbing the House is completely against the ethics and rules of the House. The government wants to move a motion to suspend Sanjay Singh," Goyal said, urging the Chair to take action against Singh.
As soon as the Chair allowed Goyal to move the motion, he said, "I move the motion that Sanjay Singh, who has been named by the chair, be hereby suspended from the rest of the duration of the session until the last day of this current session."
The chairman said, "The motion is that Sanjay Singh is suspended for the entire duration of this session having repeatedly violated the directives of the chair" and asked the House if it approved it.
The House approved the motion by raising hands and with a voice vote. "Sanjay Singh is suspended as a member during the entire session of this House," the chairman announced. Kharge said this is not the first time that an MP has stepped into the well of the house and protested and demanded that it should be revoked.
The Congress president said the government wants to throttle the voice of the opposition.
"We want a discussion as per rules but the government is not ready. The Manipur issue is a big and international one and there is a need to hold a discussion in Parliament. The prime minister should tell what action the government has taken," he said.
In a tweet, the Trinamool Congress said, "Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh suspended by the Chairman of Rajya Sabha for the entire monsoon session just for asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak on Manipur in Parliament."
"The decision blatantly subverts the very essence of democracy, laying bare the fact that the BJP-led Central government is shamelessly employing every conceivable tactic to avoid any meaningful discussion on the Manipur issue.
"We ask, how many voices will you silence? How many MPs will you unjustly suspend? The truth is crystal clear, and PM Modi’s ineptitude and negligence are glaringly evident to everyone," the TMC said.
Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said the move to suspend AAP MP Sanjay Singh was not appropriate. "We condemn this." AAP MP Raghav Chandha said Sanjay Singh kept requesting the chairman's permission for raising the opposition's demand for a discussion on Manipur.
When the Chairman did not look at the opposition, Sanjay Singh went up to the chair to raise the demand, but it is unfortunate that the moment he went there, he was suspended.
"If in a democracy the opposition and the government are unable to debate in Parliament, then what is the meaning of democracy? I want to ask what crime did Sanjay Singh commit that he was suspended.
Is it an offence to raise the demand for a discussion on Manipur? "If it is an offence then not just Sanjay Singh but the entire opposition should be suspended. The Parliament proceedings were painful.
We oppose and condemn this and urge the chairman to reconsider his decision of suspending Sanjay Singh," Chadha said.
Noting that the motion was adopted without any division of vote, he said parliamentary convention says whenever the opposition raised a demand for a debate, it was considered. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi said, "Ever since the INDIA alliance has been formed, they are worried and wanted to create such an atmosphere where the voice of opposition leaders is throttled.
"This has been done under a well-considered plan," she said.
