Staff Report
A total of 19 Opposition members of the Rajya Sabha were suspended today for the remaining part of the week for their unruly behaviour in the house. They include TMC members Dola Sen, Sushmita Dev, Dr. Santanu Sen and Mausam Noor, DMK members Mohamed Abdulla, S. Kalyanasundaram, Dr. Somu Kanimozhi and TRS member Lingaiah Yadav.
When the house met at 2 P.M., Opposition members including TMC, Aam Aadmi Party, Left, DMK and others again trooped to the well, raising slogans against the government over the issues of price rise, GST hike on essential items. Deputy Chairman Harivansh repeatedly asked for order in the house, but the protesting members did not pay heed. He warned them of disrupting the proceedings. He said, the Chair will have to invoke Rule 256 against them for continuously disrupting the proceedings.
As ruckus continued, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs V. Muraleedharan moved a motion under Rule 256 to suspend protesting members for showing disregard against the Chair and their unruly behaviour in the house. The house accepted the motion with a voice vote. As the suspended members refused to leave the house, it was adjourned for 15 minutes till 2.38 P.M. When the house reassembled, the suspended members were still in the well.
The Chair repeatedly asked them to leave the house, but they refused. This led to adjournment of the house.