The face-off between the Central government and the Opposition escalated Monday over the latter’s demand for a statement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament on the Manipur situation, followed by a discussion. In Rajya Sabha, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar announced the suspension of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh on a motion moved by the government.
The day began with Opposition MPs staging a protest on Parliament premises seeking a statement by PM Modi on the Manipur issue and ruling BJP MPs staging a counter-protest at the Gandhi Statue over atrocities against women and Dalits in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.
The Opposition took their protest to the Houses once they assembled at 11 am. Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned twice – from 11 am to 12 noon and from 12 noon to 2 pm – amid sloganeering by Opposition members demanding an answer from the Prime Minister.
The Rajya Sabha saw MP Sanjay Singh’s suspension when the House reassembled at 12 noon. As the Opposition members raised slogans, Singh moved closer to the Chairman’s podium prompting Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar to “name” him. “I name Sanjay Singh,” he said.
Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha, Piyush Goyal, then got up and said he would like to move a motion to suspend Singh, saying this “kind of behaviour coming into the Well and disturbing the House is completely against the ethics and rules of the House.” He also urged the Chair to take “necessary action” against Singh. The Chairman asked Goyal to move the motion.
“I move the motion that Mr Sanjay Singh who has been named by the Chair be hereby suspended for the rest of the duration of session…until the last day of this current session,” Goyal said.
The Chairman put the motion to vote amid the ruckus. “The motion is that Sanjay Singh is suspended for the entire duration of this session for having repeatedly violated that directive of the Chair,” he said, and announced the suspension of Singh amid a loud “yes” by the ruling benches and an uproarious ‘no” by the Opposition.
When the Rajya Sabha assembled in the afternoon, Deputy Chairman Harivansh asked Sanjay Singh to withdraw from the House since he had been suspended. Amid protests by Opposition members, the House was adjourned for an hour.
