Monsoon Session of Parliament: Opposition MPs in Rajya Sabha staged an overnight sit-in against the suspension of AAP MP Sanjay Singh for the current session of Parliament and the Manipur issue. Congress MPs Imran Pratapgarhi and Singh were seen in videos of the ongoing protests on social media.
Earlier, Singh was suspended from the Upper House for the rest of the monsoon session for repeatedly “violating” the instructions of the Chairman while protesting on the Manipur issue.
However, opposition parties condemned the action against Singh and accused the government of trying to silence his voice. The suspension came after Leader of the House Piyush Goyal moved a motion in this regard and it was adopted by voice vote.
Earlier, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar named Singh for his “unruly behaviour” and warned him. Singh had entered the Well of the House and was pointing to the Chair, demanding a discussion on Manipur, when he was warned.
Later, the opposition members raised the issue with the Speaker and urged him to revoke the suspension.
They also walked out in protest and boycotted the meeting of leaders of the House called by the Chairman, Rajya Sabha to end the impasse on the issue of holding a debate on the status of Manipur.
Meanwhile, since the commencement of the monsoon session on July 20, the work in both the Houses has failed on the Manipur issue as the opposition is stuck on PM Modi’s statement on the matter in Parliament.
When the House met in the afternoon, the opposition members stood up raising slogans and demanding that the Prime Minister make a statement on Manipur in the House.
Amid uproar by the opposition members, the Chairman announced the commencement of the Question Hour.
Opposition members demanded that after the Prime Minister’s statement on Manipur in the House, there should be a discussion under Rule 267.
The Question Hour continued for a few minutes amid din, when Singh walked into the Well and pointed to the Chairman.
First of all he was asked to go back to his seat. When he did not do so, Dhankhar said, “I take the name of Sanjay Singh.”
Soon, Goyal got up and said that he wanted to move a resolution to suspend Singh. Goyal urged the Speaker to take action against Singh, saying, “Such behaviour…and disturbing the House is completely against the ethics and rules of the House. The government wants to move a resolution to suspend Sanjay Singh.”
As soon as the Chairman allowed Goyal to move the motion, he said, “I move that Sanjay Singh, who has been nominated by the Chairman, be suspended from the remainder of the session till the last day of this current session.”
The Chairman said, “The motion is that Sanjay Singh be suspended for the entire duration of this session as he has repeatedly violated the directions of the Chair” and asked the House whether he approves it.
The House approved the motion by a show of hands and by voice vote. The Speaker announced, “Sanjay Singh is suspended as a member during the entire session of this House.” Kharge said it was not the first time that an MP protested by coming in the middle of the House and demanded that it should be cancelled.
The Congress President said that the government wants to suppress the voice of the opposition.
“We want a discussion as per the rules but the government is not ready. The issue of Manipur is big and international and needs to be discussed in Parliament. The prime minister should tell what action the government has taken,” he said.
In a tweet, the Trinamool Congress said, “Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh has been suspended by the Rajya Sabha chairman for the entire monsoon session just because he asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to speak on Manipur in Parliament.”
“This decision clearly destroys the essence of democracy, highlighting the fact that the BJP-led central government is brazenly adopting all possible tactics to avoid any meaningful discussion on the Manipur issue.
TMC said, “We ask, how many voices will you silence? How many MPs will you suspend unjustly? The truth is crystal clear, and PM Modi’s ineptitude and negligence is evident to all.”
Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said the move to suspend AAP MP Sanjay Singh was not justified. “We condemn it.” AAP MP Raghav Chanda said that Sanjay Singh kept seeking permission from the Chairman to raise the opposition’s demand for a discussion on Manipur.
When the Speaker did not look at the opposition, Sanjay Singh went to the podium to raise the demand, but unfortunately, as soon as he went there, he was suspended.
“If in a democracy the opposition and the government cannot debate in the Parliament, then what is the point of democracy? I want to ask what crime did Sanjay Singh commit that he was suspended.”
Is it a crime to raise the demand for discussion on Manipur? “If it is a crime then not only Sanjay Singh but the entire opposition should be suspended. The proceedings of the Parliament were painful.”
We oppose and condemn this and urge the Chairman to reconsider his decision to suspend Sanjay Singh, Chadha said.
Noting that the motion was adopted without any division, he said parliamentary convention said that whenever the opposition raised a demand for debate, it was considered. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi said, “Ever since the Bharat alliance was formed, they are worried and want to create an environment where the voice of opposition leaders is suppressed.”
He said, “This has been done under a well-thought-out plan.”
Read also: Monsoon Session of Parliament: Uproar in both Houses over Manipur violence