New Delhi:AAP MP Sanjay Singh has been suspended from Rajya Sabha for the rest of the week on Wednesday for 'unruly behaviour'. Soon after the proceedings of the House resumed at noon, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson Harivansh Narayan Singh invoked Rule 256 and named the AAP MP for tearing up some papers and throwing it at the Chair on Tuesday, "utter disregard" for the authority of the Chair.
Then a motion was moved to suspend Singh from the Upper House for the rest of the week by Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs V Muraleedharan. It was adopted by voice vote, even as opposition members continued to raise uproar in the well of the house. Then the AAP MP was asked to leave the House by the Deputy Chairman. Soon after the House was adjourned for 15 minutes. After briefly reconvening, it was again adjourned till 2 pm amid the Opposition protest.
Earlier in the day, Singh's actions infuriated Rajya Sabha Chairperson M Venkaiah Naidu. As Opposition MPs sought to raise the issue of rise in prices of essential items Sanjay Singh rushed to the Well of the House holding placards over the hooch tragedy in Gujarat. Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said he has not allowed notices given by several members under Rule 267 as some of them can be taken up in the normal course of business.
Also read:19 opposition MPs suspended from Rajya Sabha for week
Rule 267 calls for suspension of the listed business to take up a discussion on the issue being raised. Soon after listed official papers were laid on the table of the House, Naidu said inflation and price rise are the main issues in the 267 notices he has received. Before he could complete it, Singh was up on his feet trying to raise the Gujarat hooch issue and said 55 people have died after drinking spurious liquor in the state.
This annoyed Naidu, who asked Singh to sit down. "What is this? Height of irresponsibility. I have to say (about the 267 notices)," he said. But as Singh refused to relent, Naidu warned him that he will be named. "And you will be sent out. You have to understand this."
"Don't provoke me to that extent....I have to read the names (of those who have given notices under 267). You don't have the patience to even listen to that," he said. Naidu said he has received notices under Rule 267 from Jawhar Sircar (TMC), Tiruchi Siva (DMK), Binoy Viswam (CPI), Mallikarjun Kharge (Cong), Elamaram Kareem (CPM), Javed Ali Khan (SP), Ram Gopal Yadav (SP), Sanjay Singh (AAP), Shaktisinh Sohil (Cong) and K C Venugopal.
"I have gone through the notices. They can be taken up in normal course. I have already admitted some of them under other motions so I am not admitting them," he said. The development comes a day after 19 Opposition MPs were suspended from Rajya Sabha for the rest of the week for 'unruly behaviour'. (with Agency inputs)
