Rajya Sabha proceedings: House adjourned amid heated exchanges between Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, TMC's Derek O'Brien
The heated exchanges took place upon mentioning of party affiliations of members of the Opposition who sought discussion on Manipur violence.
The Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned for over 30 mins on Monday after heated exchanges between Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar and Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Derek O'Brien, after the latter urged Dhankhar to mention party affiliations of members of the Opposition who sought discussion on Manipur violence.
Dhankhar on Monday read out names of the MPs along with the political parties they were affiliated with stating that 11 notices had been received under rule 176, to raise short-duration discussions, to discuss violence in states including Rajasthan and Manipur.
However, when Dhankhar began reading out 27 notices that were received under Rule 267, which states that house should halt all business “to discuss a definite matter of urgent public importance”, from MPs of Opposition parties but he did not mention their party affiliations.
Upon this, O'Brien asked Dhankhar to mention their party affiliations, just as he did for those who submitted notices under rule 176.
As Dhankhar began naming the MPs, O'Brien was heard shouting, “Which party? Which party? I want to know.”
Dhankhar asked O'Brien to take his seat. “Take your seat first.”
O'Brien, refusing to do so, continued to urge Dhankhar with folded hands and pleaded that he had read the party affiliations of BJP MPs and said the same courtesy should be extended to others who had given notices.
Dhankhar, after urging O'Brien to take his seat a few more times, said, “Mr Derek O'Brien, please take a seat, you are challenging the Chair.”
He then adjourned the Rajya Sabha proceedings until 12 pm.
Earlier, Dhankhar said that he had received 11 notices under rule 176 and other notices under the rule were under his consideration.
He read out these notices, “Shri Sudhanshu Trivedi, BJP - concern over violence during panchayat elections in the state of West Bengal. Shri Sushil Kumar Modi, concern over use of brutal police force against peaceful protestors in Patna, Bihar. Shri Laxmikant Bajpai, BJP - concern over atrocities against women in the state of Telangana. Shri G V L Narasimha Rao, BJP - concern over protest by youth belonging to SC, ST communities in the state of Chhattisgarh to challenge the fake caste certificates. Shri Harnath Singh Yadav, BJP - concern over atrocities against women in state of Chhattisgarh.”
Dhankhar further said that Ghanshyam Tiwari of the BJP requested a discussion on crime against women in Rajasthan and CPM's V Sivadasan on ethnic violence in Manipur.
He had also said, “In respect of the last notice (of Sivadasan), you would recall (that) on July 20, 2023, I had already given a ruling that the notices for short duration discussion received regarding the violence in Manipur are admitted and the Leader of the House (and Union Minister) Piyush Goyal had agreed for a discussion on this issue.”