Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien suspended for remainder of winter session

Derek O`Brien. Pic/PTI

Rajya Sabha proceedings were on Thursday adjourned twice during the pre-lunch period amid protests by opposition MPs after TMC leader Derek O'Brien was suspended from the House for unruly behaviour and violating the directions of the Chair.

Soon after the House met at noon, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar warned Derek O'Brien against disrupting the proceedings and unruly behaviour and also named him. He asked O'Brien to leave the House, but opposition MPs did not relent and protested instead.

The chairman then allowed Leader of the House Piyush Goyal to move a motion to suspend O'Brien under Rule 256.

The motion to suspend O'Brien for the remainder of the session was adopted with a voice vote and the chairman announced that the TMC MP stands suspended from the House.

This led to more protests by the opposition members who raised slogans, saying the suspension would not be tolerated.

The chairman then announced that the house was adjourned till 2 pm.

The House was adjourned once during the first hour when opposition MPs trooped into the Well of the House demanding a discussion on the previous day's Parliament security breach issue.

Soon after the house met in the morning, Chairman Dhankhar disallowed as many as 28 notices served by opposition MPs, who sought the suspension of business for the day to discuss the "grave breach of security" on December 13 when a man jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber, shouted slogans and set off a smoke can.

The opposition MPs, however, kept pressing for a discussion and moved into the Well of the House. They shouted slogans and wanted Union Home Minister Amit Shah to come to the House and give a reply.

Dhankhar condemned the unruly behaviour of the MPs, saying it violated the rules.

At this point, O'Brien moved into the area just in front of the Chair, saying something in an animated fashion and flinging his arms in the air.

This infuriated Dhankhar, who named O'Brien and said he should leave the House. A person named by the Chair has to withdraw from the proceedings for the day.

Dhankhar called Derek O'Brien's conduct a "defiance" of the Chair and "serious misconduct".

As the slogan-shouting did not stop, Dhankhar adjourned the proceedings of the House till 12 noon.

Before adjourning, he called the floor leaders of the political parties for a meeting in his chamber.

Earlier, soon after listed official papers were presented, Dhankhar said the Lok Sabha speaker, who is the custodian of the Parliament complex, has ordered a high-level probe into the December 13 security breach.

"Investigation has been set in motion and FIR registered. Issue of security is within the domain of Parliament and is been effectively addressed," he said then, adding that in light of what he has stated, the 28 notices under Rule 267 do not merit admittance.

This did not convince the opposition MPs, who moved into the well of the House. As they shouted slogans, the chairman asked them to return to their seats.

"If members do not go back to their seats, I will have to take stringent action... I have indicated we cannot exemplify our conduct by a misdemeanour, violating rules, not following procedure, or not following directives. This is serious ignominy," he said.

As opposition MPs refused to go back to their seats, Dhankhar said, "This is serious defiance... Those of the members who have come in the Well are cautioned by me to take their seat immediately," he said as he got into an argument with O'Brien, who was trying to make his point from the Well of the House.

"Mr Derek O'Brien says he will not take a seat. Mr Derek O'Brien says he will defy the chair. Mr Derek O'Brien says I will not respect the rules," the chairman said, adding that the TMC leader was "gesticulating" and doing "theatrics".

This, he said, "was a serious misconduct".

As an unrelenting opposition continued to shout slogans, he said, "This is a shameful incident."

Dhankhar further said this conduct shows "we are no more than a shouting brigade... We don't believe in debate, dialogue, discussion, deliberation. We believe only in disturbance."

O'Brien moved into the area near the Chair after this.

Dhankhar then said, "I hereby name Shri Derek O'Brien. Derek O'Brien is hereby named to leave the House immediately."

"You have committed a breach of privilege. Mr Dreck O'Brien to leave the House immediately. Something has to be done. And the member (Derek O'Brien) is in the habit of playing hot and cold. He draws soft as a strategy and gets into hot mood. Do you approve of it? I take very serious view," the chairman said before adjourning the proceedings.

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