New Delhi: In the biggest-ever action in the history of Parliament in a day, the Rajya Sabha on Monday suspended 45 Opposition MPs for their “misconduct” during proceedings of the House.
Of the 45 suspended MPs, 34 have been suspended for the remainder of the Winter Session, which concludes on December 22, while 11 have been suspended until the reports of the Rajya Sabha’s Committee of Privileges is not received.
As per Rajya Sabha Secretariat sources, “this is the biggest ever suspension in the history of Rajya Sabha, when 45 legislators were suspended in a day.”
Those suspended for the remainder of the Winter Session are Congress’s Pramod Tiwari, Jairam Ramesh, Amee Yajnik, Naranbhai J. Rathwa, Syed Nasir Hussain, Phulo Devi Netam, Shaktisinh Gohil, KC Venugopal, Rajani Ashokrao Patil, Ranjeet Ranjan, Imran Pratapgarhi and Randeep Singh Surjewala; TMC’s Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, Mohammed Nadimul Haque, Abir Ranjan Biswas, Santanu Sen, Mausam Noor, Prakash Chik Baraik and Samirul Islam; DMK’s M Shanmugam N R Elango, Kanimozhi NVN Somu and R Girirajan; Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Manoj Kumar Jha and Faiyaz Ahmad; CPI (M’s) V Sivadasan; JDU’s Ram Nath Thakur and Aneel Prasad Hegde; NCP’s Vandana Chavan; Samajwadi Party’s Ram Gopal Yadav, Javed Ali Khan; Jharkhand Mukti Morcha’s Mahua Maji; Kerala Congress (M) MP Jose K Mani; and Independent legislator Ajit Kumar Bhuyan.
Winter Session | A total of 34 Opposition MPs, including Congress’ Jairam Ramesh, K.C. Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala; TMC’s 1. Sukhendu Sekhar Ray and Santanu Sen; RJD’s Manoj Kumar Jha, suspended from the Rajya Sabha today for the remainder of the Session. pic.twitter.com/fWraxpGwGN
— ANI (@ANI) December 18, 2023
Besides, those 11 MPs suspended and their names sent to the Rajya Sabha Committee of Privileges are Congrrss’s Jebi Mather Hisham, L Hanumanthaiah, Neeraj Dangi, Rajmani Patel, Kumar Ketkar and G C Chandrashekhar; CPI’s Binoy Viswam, Sandosh Kumar P; DMK’s M Mohamed Abdulla; and CPI (M) legislators John Brittas and AA Rahim.
So far, a total of 46 MPs from Rajya Sabha have been suspended in this Winter Session of the Parliament. TMC’s Derek O’Brien was suspended last week and his name was also sent to the Committee of Privileges.
#WATCH | Opposition MPs, who were suspended from the Parliament today for the remainder of the Winter Session, protest on the stairs to the Parliament.
33 MPs from Lok Sabha and 34 from Rajya Sabha were suspended today; the matter of suspension of 3 MPs from Lok Sabha and 11… pic.twitter.com/7Sz4JHySJz
— ANI (@ANI) December 18, 2023
Those names referred to the Privileges Committee, which has been asked to give its report in three months, will be suspended until the panel submits the report to the House.
The fresh action of the Rajya Sabha came hours after 33 members were suspended from the Lok Sabha for “misconduct” for the remainder of the monsoon session.
After the House adopted the motion for suspension, the Chairman asked the suspended members to leave the precincts.
He then adjourned the House for the day.
The motion for the suspension of MPs was moved by Rajya Sabha leader of the House, Piyush Goyal.
#WATCH | On the suspension of several opposition MPs from the Rajya Sabha for the remainder of the winter session, Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha, Piyush Goyal says, “…34 MPs have been suspended. The case of 11 MPs has been referred to the Privilege Committee. A total… pic.twitter.com/APRzIRAkSs
— ANI (@ANI) December 18, 2023
The suspension was announced soon after the Rajya Sabha assembled at 4.30 pm following various other adjournments since morning as the MPs trooped into the well of the House and kept on sloganeering, which led to disruption of proceedings.