New Delhi/Nov, 30 : The suspension of 12 MPs – for “misbehaviour” related to the events of August 11, the last day of the previous session – will not be lifted, Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu said Tuesday morning, in response to furious demands from he suspension will not be revoked as the MPs “haven’t expressed remorse”, Mr Naidu said. “Suspended MPs have not expressed remorse. I am not considering the appeal of Leader of Opposition (the Congress’ Mallikarjun Kharge). Suspension will not be revoked,” he said. Minutes earlier Mr Kharge argued the government’s move to suspend the MPs (the list includes six from the Congress) was “selective” and against the rules. “I request you to revoke suspension of 12 opposition MPs… have been suspended selectively,” he SAID. Every Member should be allowed to make a Point of Order… Rule says Chairman has to take name of MP first and then a Question has to be made prior to suspension. Then a Motion for Suspension can be moved. This has to be on the day of the incident. In the present case, none of the MPs were named before the motion,” he EXPLAINED. After Mr Naidu said the suspension of the MPs would stand, the opposition staged a walkout. To that Mr Naidu said they had “every right to walk out”. “In a democracy… in Parliament… they (the opposition) can walk out (but) House must be allowed to function.
“The Rajya Sabha Chairman also shut down opposition complaints that there is no precedent on action being taken against MPs for actions in a previous session. Rule 256, under which they have been suspended, says a MP can be suspended “for a period not exceeding the remainder of the session”.Earlier today 16 parties – not including the Trinamool – met Mr Naidu. They said that if the suspension is not revoked, they intend to boycott today’s session of the Rajya Sabha. The 16 are the Congress, Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK and the MDMK, the Shiv Sena and the NCP (in power in Maharashtra with the Congress), the CPM and CPI, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Indian Union Muslim League, the LJD, J&K’s National Conference, the RSP, Telangana’s ruling TRS, the Kerala Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party, and the VCK. Meanwhile, there have also been protests in the Lok Sabha over this issue. Several of them have walked out, with the Telangana Rashtra Samiti protesting in the Well. The Trinamool Congress has stayed inside. Monday this week (the first day of Parliament’s winter session), 12 Rajya Sabha MPs, including the Shiv Sena’s Priyanka Chaturvedi, were suspended from this session for ruckus in August, when opposition MPs and the government clashed over the Pegasus scandal. The opposition condemned the suspension, calling it “unwarranted and undemocratic”. The Congress’ Abhishek Singhvi pointing out it had skewed voting numbers (in the Rajya Sabha) in the government’s favour. “By suspending 12 MPs from Rajya Sabha, BJP has gone ahead of majority… Can easily pass listed bills through the upper house now,” he tweeted. This morning Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said the government had been “forced” to suspend the MPs for “misbehaviour” related to the events of August 11, the last day of the previous session, but could revoke the suspension if they apologosed.
