Monsoon Session: TMC MP Derek O’Brien suspended from Rajya Sabha after heated exchange with Dhankhar

Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP and party leader in Rajya Sabha, Derek O’Brien, was suspended from the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday for the remainder of the Monsoon Session of Parliament following an argument with Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar.

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Leader of the House, Piyush Goyal, moved a motion for his suspension “for continuously disturbing the proceedings of the House, disobeying the Chair and continuously creating a disturbance in the House.”

The TMC MP was suspended for the remainder of the current Parliament session “for unruly behaviour unbecoming of a Member of Rajya Sabha.”

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After the House took up the listed agenda, Dhankhar referred to the demand of opposition parties for discussion on the Manipur situation and said it had been on the agenda but did not fructify. Goyal said he will check the availability of Union home minister Amit Shah and if the opposition members are willing, the discussion can take place at 12 noon.

The chairman said he had indicated that the discussion on the Manipur situation can go much beyond two-and-a-half hours and the government and the home minister have indicated their willingness.

The TMC leader sought to speak under the pretext of raising a point of order and when the chairman asked him to point to the rule he was wanting to speak on, O’Brien said 267 — the rule under which the opposition has been seeking a discussion on the Manipur issue since the start of the Monsoon session on July 20.

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The chairman then named O’Brien. Goyal moved a motion for suspending the TMC MP for the remainder of the Monsoon Session. He also said O’Brien raised slogans from near the Chair’s podium against the directions.

O’Brien’s suspension comes days after Dhankhar and the Trinamool Congress MP had a heated argument in the Upper House of Parliament. The chairman had accused O’Brien of making “engaging in theatrics” a habit, inviting a strong objection from O’Brien, who said he was quoting the rules of the House and demanding a serious discussion on Manipur.

The Monsoon Session which began on July 11 is set to culminate on August 11.