The Rajya Sabha announced on Monday that 12 MPs, belonging to opposition parties, had been suspended for indiscipline during the previous Monsoon Session.
The 12 MPs have been suspended for the remainder of the current Winter Session. The suspended MPs are Anil Desai and Priyanka Chaturvedi of Shiv Sena; Shanta Chhetri and Dola Sen of Trinamool Congress; Phulo Devi Netam, Chhaya Verma, R. Bora, Rajamani Patel, Syed Nasir Hussain and Akhilesh Prasad Singh of Congress; Elamaram Kareem of CPI(M) and Binoy Viswam of the CPI.
Hindustan Times reported that the suspension notice stated these “MPs have lowered the dignity of the House by unprecedented acts of misconduct through their violent behaviour and 'intentional attacks' on security personnel on the last day of the Monsoon Session on August 11”.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi moved the motion to suspend the MPs, which was passed by voice vote.
Chaturvedi criticised the move, arguing the MPs' version of events was not heard. She was quoted by ANI as saying “From district court to Supreme Court, an accused is heard even there, lawyers are provided for them too; sometimes, government officials are sent to take their version. Here our version wasn't taken.”
On August 11, some of the suspended MPs had alleged that Rajya Sabha marshals had pushed them. The incident happened when the opposition MPs were objecting to the passage of the Insurance (Amendment) Bill. At the time, leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said there were more marshals than MPs in the Rajya Sabha. He alleged the marshals had manhandled women MPs.
Pralhad Joshi had dismissed the opposition claims of being manhandled by marshals. He claimed the opposition MPs had manhandled the marshals. “… All the CCTV cameras should be checked. In fact [the opposition MPs] manhandled the male marshals. They grabbed these male marshals by their necks. They were especially from TMC (Trinamool Congress). ...together pushed the female marshals,” Hindustan Times quoted Joshi as saying at the time.
