New Delhi: Eight opposition members have been suspended from the Rajya Sabha for the rest of the session over unprecedented chaos in the house during the passing of controversial farm bills on Sunday. The members include Trinamool Congress’s Derek O’Brien, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s Sanjay singh, Congress’s Rajeev Satav and CPM’s KK Ragesh.
“I am pained at what happened yesterday. It defies logic. It is a bad day for Rajya Sabha,” said Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu.
He said the members threw papers, wrenched mics away and “physically threatened” Deputy Chairman Harivansh Singh.
Two of the government’s three farm bills, which have triggered protests by opposition parties and farmers, were passed on Sunday amid opposition protests in the Rajya Sabha.
Sanjay Singh and Congress member Rajiv Satav climbed onto the Secretary General’s table at the centre of the house, Trinamool Congress member Derek O’Brien waved a rulebook in front of the Chairperson and some members pulled out mics at their seats. A few members also tore up copies of the bills.
The bills, which were cleared in the Lok Sabha earlier, will now go to the President for sign-off before becoming law.
The opposition, which lacked the numbers to block legislation, had called for the farms bills to be sent to a select committee for review. They had also asked for the discussion to be extended to today. Harivansh Singh, who was in the Chair at the time, refused and allowed Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar to continue his reply before voting on the bills. (Agencies)
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