Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday called a meeting of floor leaders of the House to discuss a possible solution to the current logjam in Parliament after all opposition parties walked out of the business advisory committee meeting in the Upper House over the suspension of Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh for the current Monsoon session.
Meanwhile, Union minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge to discuss the logjam in the Parliament. Kharge, however, made it clear that the Manipur violence cannot be tolerated and Prime Minister Narendra should make a statement in Parliament.
Sanjay Singh was suspended for “repeatedly violating” the Chair’s directives. The Chairman first named Sanjay Singh for interrupting the proceedings of the House when it had taken up the Question Hour amid protests by the Opposition over its demand for a statement from Modi on the Manipur violence and a detailed discussion on the issue.
Sanjay Singh came near the Chairman’s podium over Opposition demands after the House resumed proceedings at 12 noon following its first adjournment earlier in the day. Dhankhar told him to resume his seat. As the AAP member kept protesting, the Chairman named him.
Soon after the Chairman named Sanjay Singh, Leader of the House Piyush Goyal moved a motion urging the Chair to suspend the AAP member, saying this kind of behaviour “is completely against the ethics and rules of the House.”
“Sanjay Singh should be suspended from the entire session of the House,” he said.
AAP has been among the opposition parties demanding a statement from Modi in Parliament on the situation in Manipur and a detailed discussion on the issue. The government has said it is prepared to discuss the situation in Manipur.
Earlier, Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 12 noon with the Opposition parties creating a ruckus over its demands related to ethnic violence in Manipur.
(With inputs from agencies)
