Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, August 8: High drama surrounded the suspension of TMC MP Derek O’Brien in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. At first, the Chairman indicated he must leave the House, but subsequently clarified that the motion was not put to a vote and that he may stay and attend the proceedings.
After Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar declared he had made a “far-sighted” choice to not allow voting on a motion to suspend O’Brien, which was not productive, O’Brien was permitted to attend the House sessions.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader had been suspended earlier by the Chairman due to his unruly conduct in the House.
The Chairman was persuaded to be forgiving of O’Brien by a number of members, notably Pramod Tiwari (Congress), but he questioned the reason for the leniency.
“If O’Brien would have been suspended from the House for this session, do you think he would have been allowed to enter the House again? Can he come back again?” the chairman stated adding that action against any member would be painful for him.
“I have ended my own pain, no one has done that. If the motion was passed fully, O’Brien could not have entered the House again’, he added.
“How he was allowed to enter the House as the motion against O’Brien could not fructify. I did not take that sense of the House deliberately. It is my obligation to ensure to an extreme degree that the House runs. I have been extremely accommodative whenever the TMC MP has come to my chamber and requested him,” Dhankhar said.
O’Brien objected, claiming that he had never visited Dhankhar’s room between 11 am and 12 noon on Tuesday. The Chairman then questioned the members of the House whether such behavior should be tolerated.
“Do you approve of this conduct. Do you approve of it…,” the Chairman said.
