During the Monsoon session, Shantanu Sen was suspended for tearing official papers in the House. He disallowed IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to make a statement on Pegasus row. Six other TMC members were suspended for displaying placards and disobeying the chair.
New Delhi: Twelve opposition members of the Rajya Sabha, including Dola Sen of Trinamool Congress, Priyanka Chaturvedi of Shiv Sena and Chhaya Verma of Congress, were suspended on Monday for the remaining period of the Winter Session of Parliament.
They include six from the Congress, two from Trinamool and Shiv Sena, and one from CPI and CPI (M).
These members of the Upper House have been suspended for their unruly conduct on the last day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
Other members who have been suspended are Phulo Devi Netam, Ripun Bora, Rajamani Patel, Syed Nasir Hussain and Akhilesh Prasad Singh of Congress, Binoy Viswam of CPI, Elamaram Kareem of CPI(M), Shanta Chhetri of TMC and Anil Desai of Shiv Sena.
Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi moved the motion in the House seeking their suspension for the Winter Session, which was passed by voice vote. The members had been suspended under Rule 256 of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Rajya Sabha.
Cracks in Oppn Unity
Meanwhile, cracks surfaced in the opposition camp with Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress staying away from the meeting of opposition floor leaders convened by the Congress. “So what if we did not attend the meeting today?" remarked Trinamool MP, Sukhendu Sekhar Roy.
According to reports, Shiv Sena and AAP were also not pleased with the manner the Congress has been trying to anchor the opposition unity.
On the political front, Congress and Trinamool Congress distance has increased after several Congress leaders and MLAs in various states, including Goa and Meghalaya, joined TMC.
Both AAP and TMC have in the recent past given the impression that they can replace Congress as the real “Opposition face" in national politics.
