New Delhi: Congress MP Rajani Patil was suspended for the remainder of the Budget session by Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday for videographing House proceedings.
The development comes after the Leader of the House, Piyush Goyal urged the Chairman to have the matter examined and investigated and take action against the member responsible for the act which should be considered as misconduct bringing disrepute to the August House.
Goyal said that senior members of the Gouse are being videographed in an unauthorised manner in the House and the video is also being uploaded on social media. Terming the matter as " misconduct of the House", the Union Minister said that appropriate action should be taken in the case. He also urged the Chairman to name the member.
"Even though it is showing Opposition Members in poor light, I think any such action done by any Member is something of very serious concern. MPs have already complained to you about this incident. They had requested you to have the matter investigated and examined," the minister said.
"I'll consider this misconduct of the House, a blatant and flagrant disregard for the rules of the House...I would urge you (Chairman) to name the Member who was involved in this act and appropriate actions should be taken in this case," he added.
Congress MPs urged the Chairperson to first thoroughly examine the issue and then take action. Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said that after an inquiry into the matter is complete, the Chairman can take action or caution the concerned member.
"Honourable members, in public domain yesterday on Twitter there was the dissemination of a video relating to the proceedings of the house. It was brought to my notice. I took serious note of it and did all that was required to be done. As a matter of policy, as a matter of principle, and to keep the sanctity of the august house and Parliament, no outside agency involvement could be sought. But since the matter concerns the proceedings of the House, we have primary material. That was indeed a very painful situation," said Dhankhar.
"But I invited them to my chamber and sought their guidance that if such a situation happens what should be the way out? It is very explicit that the proceedings of the House are video graphed. This per se is a misdemeanour. That itself cannot be sanctified," he added.
Earlier in the day, the Rajya Sabha Chairman had indicated that he would take action against those members who video-recorded a ruckus during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech on Friday. He also asked political party leaders to convey their views on the issue. Later, a motion was adopted in the Upper House of the Parliament to suspend the Congress MP for the rest of the Budget Session, pending a report by the parliamentary privilege committee on the matter.
