New Delhi: As many as 14 members of Parliament from both houses including nine Congress MPs from Lok Sabha were suspended for the rest of the Session on Thursday for 'unruly behaviour'.
Before their suspension, the MPs moved into the Well of the House raising slogans to demand a statement from the government on the Wednesday security breach. The Lok Sabha MPs suspended included nine from Congress (VK Sreekandan, Benny Behanan, Mohammad Jawed, Manickam Tagore, TN Prathapan, Hibi Eden, Jothimani, Ramya Haridas and Dean Kuriakose), two from CPI-M (PR Natarajan, S Venkatesan), and one each from CPI (K. Subbarayan) and DMK (Kanimozhi Karunanidhi).
In Rajya Sabha, DMK MK Derek O'Brien was suspended for the rest of the session with Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar citing "unruly behaviour" and "misconduct" as reasons for the disciplinary action. He was suspended soon after the resumption of the Winter Session for the second time at 12 noon in the face of constant protest from members which forced its adjournment at 11.22 am.
In Lok Sabha, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi moved the resolution to suspend VK Sreekandan (Cong), Benny Behanan (Cong), Mohammad Jawed (Cong), PR Natarajan (CPI-M), Kanimozhi (DMK), K. Subbarayan (CPI), SR Parthiban (DMK), S Venkatesan (CPI-M), Manickam Tagore (Cong).
Interestingly, DMK legislator SR Parthiban who was among the MPs suspended was absent from the House. Later in the day, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said there was a mistake by the staff in identifying him and that his name has been withdrawn from the suspended MPs' list.
Earlier in the day, the House passed a resolution suspending five Congress MPs -- T N Prathapan, Hibi Eden, Jothimani, Ramya Haridas and Dean Kuriakose (all Congress) --for the remainder of the session after being named by the Speaker for disrupting House proceedings.
Both Houses witnessed uproarious scenes over the Parliament security breach with MPs from opposition parties raking up the issue. When the Rajya Sabha reconvened at 4 pm after two adjournments in the post-lunch session, chairman Dhankhar said that he was giving another opportunity to O'Brien to reflect on his conduct and desist from any further non-compliance of the Chair and forthwith withdraw from the House.
Dhankar said that such conduct was an "absolute transgression" of rules and is unbecoming of a member of this House. He further said that the transaction of business in the House was adversely affected due to O'Brien's defiance. Dhankar informed that Mallikarjun Kharge had conveyed his "disinclination" to confer with him in his chamber.
Before adjourning the House till 4 pm, the Rajya Sabha Chairman requested Leader of Opposition Kharge to confer with him in his chamber, along with Leader of the House Piyush Goyal. The Winter session began on December 4 and will culminate on December 22.
Here are the updates for the day:
- 4.48 pm Congress MP Jairam Ramesh says, "We had just one demand that the Home Minister come to the House and give a statement (over Lok Sabha security breach). This dictatorial government does not find it acceptable. This is a very serious matter. We want a statement from the Home Minister."
- 4.45 pm Suspended Opposition MPs had staged a sit-in protest inside the Parliament over their suspension.
- 4.10 pm Rajya Sabha proceedings will resume on Friday, December 15 at 11 am.
- 4.04 pm Suspension issue of RS MP Derek O'Brien has been sent to the privilege committee for examination. The committee will submit its report in 3 months.
- 4.02 pm Leader of the House Piyush Goyal moves motion to take serious note of the conduct of Derek O'Brien, who was suspended from the service of the council under Rule 256(2).
- 4.00 pm Rajya Sabha proceedings resume amid Opposition sloganeering against suspension of TMC member Derek O'Brien.
- 3.59 pm On her suspension from Lok Sabha, DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi says, "There is an MP who has actually given the passes for these (accused of Parliament security breach) people to come in. No action has been taken against that MP. Whereas we saw what happened in Mahua's case. Without even the inquiry being complete, she has been disqualified and this MP is not even suspended. He's inside Parliament with us. And when we protested and we want the PM and the Home Minister to come and give a statement in the House, they're not prepared to do that. And when we protested, they are suspending all the opposition MPs. First suspended five, then they suspended nine people. So how is this democracy?..."
- 3.57 pm Leader of Opposition of Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge writes to Chairman of Rajya Sabha Jagdeep Dhankhar over Wednesday's security breach in the Parliament House.
- 3.56 pm On the Parliamentary security breach incident, DMK MP TR Baalu says, "All the opposition MPs are demanding is that the Home Minister or the Prime Minister come before Parliament and explain what has happened, what remedial steps they have taken… The minimum punishment is that he (BJP MP Pratap Simha) should be arrested."
- 3.54 pm Of the 14 suspended MPs, nine are from Congress, two from the CPI(M), one from the CPI, and two from the DMK.
- 3.47 pm Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi moved the resolution to suspend VK Sreekandan (Congress), Benny Behanan (Congress), Mohammad Jawed (Congress), PR Natarajan (CPI-M), Kanimozhi (DMK), K. Subbarayan (CPI), SR Parthiban (DMK), S Venkatesan (CPI-M), Manickam Tagore (Congress).
- 3.35 pm 14 MPs from Lok Sabha and one from Rajya Sabha have been suspended for the rest of the winter session.
- 3.34 pm Five Congress Lok Sabha MPs – TN Prathapan, Hibi Eden, S. Jothimani, Ramya Haridas and Dean Kuriakose were suspended from the Lok Sabha for the remainder of the winter session for "disrespectful behaviour".
- 3.17 pm Lok Sabha suspended nine more MPs for the remaining period of the Winter Session.
- 3.14 pm Lok Sabha adjourned for the day amid opposition din over Wednesday's security breach.
- 3.09 pm Lok Sabha passes a resolution to suspend nine more MPs for the remaining period of the Winter Session.
- 3.00 pm Rajya Sabha proceedings will resume at 4 pm.
- 2.58 pm Pralhad Joshi urges 'no politics' over security breach incident.
- 2.54 pm Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi asserted that a high-level inquiry has been initiated into the Lok Sabha security breach incident.
- 2.48 pm The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed a resolution suspending five Congress MPs for the remainder of the session after being named by the Speaker for disrupting House proceedings.
- 2.20 pm Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till 3 pm.
- 2.00 pm RLP's lone MP on Thursday tried to scale the Speaker's podium in the Lok Sabha as opposition members raised slogans against the government over the security breach.
- 12 pm
Dhankhar orders Derek O'Brien's suspension for the remaining period of the Winter Session. - 11.22 am
Rajya Sabha is adjourned till 12 noon. - 11.17 am
Rajya Sabha witnesses uproarious scene over alleged misconduct of members. Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar orders TMC MP Derek O'Brien's exit. - 11 am
Rajya Sabha resumes - 10.35 am
Opposition parties to raise the issue of security breach strongly in both houses of Parliament today.
