The sit-in protest by eight suspended Rajya Sabha MPs on Parliament premises continued for the second day on Tuesday. But early on Tuesday morning, it was Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Singh who made headlines. The MPs had been suspended for disorderly conduct in the Rajya Sabha on Sunday, including the charge of allegedly misbehaving with Harivansh Singh. The MPs had been demanding a division of votes on two farm sector bills that were subsequently passed.
On Tuesday morning, Harivansh Singh came in bright and early with a posse of news cameras and was told by a senior MP to visit them without the cameras and sit with them.
"Another senior MP also told him that while bringing tea was a nice gesture, he was still in the wrong in what he did. He was told that he was the one who broke the rules," one of the protesting MPs told PTI.
The protesting MPs did not accept the tea and snacks offered by the deputy chairman.
“We sat here on a dharna the whole night to give justice to the crores of farmers in the country and to protest against the black laws that have been passed. Today morning, Deputy Chairman Sahib came here. We told him also that on Sunday, rules and norms were completely disregarded in the way anti-farmer bills were passed by Parliament,” said AAP's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, who is among the eight suspended MPs who are on an indefinite sit-in in the Parliament complex.
He said he told Harivansh that the BJP did not have majority, and it was extremely unfair on his part to not allow division of votes, which the opposition members were asking for.
“It is not an issue of personal relations. We are sitting here to safeguard the interests of farmers,” Sanjay Singh further said.
Harivansh Singh's gesture was noticed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi lauded Harivansh's Bihari heritage. Modi tweeted, "For centuries, the great land of Bihar has been teaching us the values of democracy. In line with that wonderful ethos, MP from Bihar and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson Shri Harivansh Ji’s inspiring and statesman like conduct this morning will make every democracy lover proud."
"To personally serve tea to those who attacked and insulted him a few days ago as well as those sitting on Dharna shows that Shri Harivansh Ji has been blessed with a humble mind and a big heart. It shows his greatness. I join the people of India in congratulating Harivansh Ji," Modi added.
However, Harivansh has also decided to express his anguish at the alleged misbehaviour of the opposition MPs against him. In a letter to Rajya Sabha chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu, Harivansh said the conduct by the opposition MPs towards him was "humiliating". He announced he would begin a 24-hour fast from Tuesday.
(With inputs from Soni Mishra)
