NEW DELHI: Confusion prevailed in the Rajya Sabha for a brief time on Tuesday over Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien’s ‘suspension’. The Chair first announced O’Brien’s suspension, which was immediately flashed across the media.
However, later in the day, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar clarified that the motion to suspend the MP was not put to vote, and hence he could continue to attend the House.
It all started with a heated argument between O’Brien and the Chair. Following this, Leader of House Piyush Goyal moved a motion for O’Brien’s suspension for “continuously disturbing the proceedings of the House and disobeying the Chair”.
Dhankhar said he has taken a “far-sighted” decision to not allow voting on the motion to suspend the TMC member. “I have ended my own pain. No one has done that. If the motion was passed fully, O’Brien could not have entered the House again. He was allowed to enter the House as the motion against O’Brien could not fructify. I did not take that sense of the House deliberately. It is my obligation to ensure to an extreme degree that the House runs. I have been extremely accommodating whenever the TMC MP has come to my chamber and requested him,” Dhankar said.
It all happened in a hurry that sent the wrong information about the suspension of O’Brien, said a member.
The motion by Goyal after the heated argument between O’Brien and the Chair said, “Derek O’Brien is suspended for the remaining part of the current session for his unruly behaviour unbecoming of a member today, shouting slogans from the well of the House, thereby disregarding instructions of the Chair and for bringing disrepute to the House.”
The Chairman also announced that “Derek O’Brien is directed to leave the House. He is suspended for the rest of the session,” as he announced adjournment of the House till 12 noon. But everything looked normal after the House was reassembled. “After deep immediate deliberations, I did not take the sense of the House earlier. If I had really fructified the process, Derek O’Brien would have been out of the House. In my wisdom, I thought I must not take to that conclusion at that point of time,” Dhankar said.
Later, after O’Brien’s suspension was not taken up by the Chairman, Goyal said, “I appreciate the magnanimity shown by the Chair that despite my moving the motion, you did not go to the extreme step. With full respect to the magnanimity that the Chair has shown, I would urge the members to agree to maintain decorum”.
19 days PM @narendramodi has been MISSING IN #Parliament
— Derek O'Brien | ডেরেক ও'ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) August 8, 2023
It’s taken the rules of a No Confidence Motion to FINALLY DRAG PM to Lok Sabha.
And in #RajyaSabha what’s stopping this heartless government from starting the discussion on #Manipur TODAY AUG 8 at 11 am. Let’s begin