Decision on TMC MP Derek O'Brien's suspension from Rajya Sabha pending; here's what transpired
TMC spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale clarified on X (formerly Twitter) that Derek O'Brien has not been suspended yet.
- Aug 8, 2023,
- Updated Aug 8, 2023 3:10 PM IST
The decision on Trinamool Congress MP and senior leader Derek O'Brien's suspension is reportedly still pending with the upper house chairman and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar. TMC spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale clarified on X (formerly Twitter) that Derek O'Brien has not been suspended yet.
O’Brien wanted to speak on Rule 267, under which the Opposition has been seeking a discussion on the Manipur issue since the start of the Monsoon session on July 20.
Dhankhar says, “This is too serious a matter for me to be overruled...After deep, immediate deliberation, I did not take the sense of the House earlier. If I had really fructified the process, Derek O'Brien would have been out of the House. In my wisdom, I thought I must not take it to that conclusion at that point of time..."
Following which, leader of the House Piyush Goyal moved a motion for his suspension on the pretext of "continuously disturbing the proceedings of the House”, disobeying the Chair and continuously creating disturbance in the House. The Monsoon session of Parliament is to end on August 11.
It all started after Goyal decided to take up a discussion on Manipur with Union home minister Amit Shah at 12 PM today as Opposition MPs from the INDIA bloc gave 51 notices under rule 267 to discuss the topic.
While raising a point of order O'Brien said: “Sir (Chair) we need to communicate and we are ready for a discussion on Manipur but not the way they (ruling side) wanted.”
To which Dhankhar added: “I will take a very strong view against members who raise a point of order but make a speech on that. You (Derek) will rise, not raise a point of order, not wait for my ruling and you will occupy space. That can’t be done.”
While moving Derek’s suspension motion, Goyal said: “I wish to move a motion for the suspension of Derek O’Brien for the remainder of the session for continuously and wilfully disturbing the proceedings of the House, for disobeying the Chair and for continuously creating disturbance in the House”.
“I hereby move the motion that Shri Derek’O Brien be suspended from the services of the House for the remaining part of the current session for his unruly behaviour, unbecoming of a member of the Rajya Sabha. Today the eight of August 2023, shouting slogans from the Well of the House thereby disregarding the authority of the Chair and from his Chair disregarding every instruction of the Chair and bringing disrepute and shame to this August House,” Goyal said.
Before the session started, O'Brien had tweeted that the prime minister has been missing from the parliament past 19 days and was only forced to come for the No-Confidence Motion discussion, which started today.
On Monday, the chair and O'Brien had a spat during discussions on the Delhi Services bill when Dhankhar accused O'Brien of doing "theatrics" in the House to gain publicity during the heated debate.
(CORRECTION: The story erroneously stated that Derek O'Brien has been suspended. It has since been corrected.)
The decision on Trinamool Congress MP and senior leader Derek O'Brien's suspension is reportedly still pending with the upper house chairman and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar. TMC spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale clarified on X (formerly Twitter) that Derek O'Brien has not been suspended yet.
O’Brien wanted to speak on Rule 267, under which the Opposition has been seeking a discussion on the Manipur issue since the start of the Monsoon session on July 20.
Dhankhar says, “This is too serious a matter for me to be overruled...After deep, immediate deliberation, I did not take the sense of the House earlier. If I had really fructified the process, Derek O'Brien would have been out of the House. In my wisdom, I thought I must not take it to that conclusion at that point of time..."
Following which, leader of the House Piyush Goyal moved a motion for his suspension on the pretext of "continuously disturbing the proceedings of the House”, disobeying the Chair and continuously creating disturbance in the House. The Monsoon session of Parliament is to end on August 11.
It all started after Goyal decided to take up a discussion on Manipur with Union home minister Amit Shah at 12 PM today as Opposition MPs from the INDIA bloc gave 51 notices under rule 267 to discuss the topic.
While raising a point of order O'Brien said: “Sir (Chair) we need to communicate and we are ready for a discussion on Manipur but not the way they (ruling side) wanted.”
To which Dhankhar added: “I will take a very strong view against members who raise a point of order but make a speech on that. You (Derek) will rise, not raise a point of order, not wait for my ruling and you will occupy space. That can’t be done.”
While moving Derek’s suspension motion, Goyal said: “I wish to move a motion for the suspension of Derek O’Brien for the remainder of the session for continuously and wilfully disturbing the proceedings of the House, for disobeying the Chair and for continuously creating disturbance in the House”.
“I hereby move the motion that Shri Derek’O Brien be suspended from the services of the House for the remaining part of the current session for his unruly behaviour, unbecoming of a member of the Rajya Sabha. Today the eight of August 2023, shouting slogans from the Well of the House thereby disregarding the authority of the Chair and from his Chair disregarding every instruction of the Chair and bringing disrepute and shame to this August House,” Goyal said.
Before the session started, O'Brien had tweeted that the prime minister has been missing from the parliament past 19 days and was only forced to come for the No-Confidence Motion discussion, which started today.
On Monday, the chair and O'Brien had a spat during discussions on the Delhi Services bill when Dhankhar accused O'Brien of doing "theatrics" in the House to gain publicity during the heated debate.
(CORRECTION: The story erroneously stated that Derek O'Brien has been suspended. It has since been corrected.)