12 MPs from Rajya Sabha suspended for entire Winter Session
At least 12 Rajya Sabha MPs have been suspended on grounds of indiscipline for the ongoing Winter session of the House.
CPM's Elamaram Kareem, Congress' Phulo Devi Netam, Chhaya Verma, R Bora, Rajamani Patel, Syed Nasir Hussain, Akhilesh Prasad Singh, CPI's Binoy Viswam, Dola Sen and Shanta Chhetri from TMC and Priyanka Chaturvedi & Anil Desai of Shiv Sena have been suspended for remaining part of the current session.
The suspension is in connection with an incident during the Monsoon Session. Earlier on August 11, unruly scenes were witnessed in Rajya Sabha when Opposition MPs climbed on the officials' table, waved black cloth and threw files when the House began a discussion on farmers' protest against new reform laws. Several MPs stood on the table where the parliamentary staff sits right below the chair, while others crowded around it shouting anti-government slogans. A few members squatted on the tables for over one-and-half hours during which proceedings were adjourned multiple times.
Reacting on her suspension, Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said, "From Dist Court to Supreme Court, an accused is heard even there, lawyers are provided for them too, sometimes Govt officials are sent to take their version. Here our version wasn't taken."
Calling it 'totally undemocratic,' Congress MP Ripun Bora said, "This is totally undemocratic; murder of democracy & Constitution. We've not been given the opportunity to be heard. This is a one-sided, biased, vindictive decision. Opposition parties haven't been consulted. Yes, we had protested in the last session. We had protested for the cause of farmers, the poor people and as Parliamentarians, it is our duty to raise the voices of the oppressed, deprived. If we don't raise the voices in Parliament, where will we do that?"
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