TMC MP suspended from Rajya Sabha for tearing minister’s papers

Protests have rocked Parliament over the alleged targeting of phones with military-grade spyware, the controversial farm laws, and income tax raids on the premises of a newspaper group

Trinamool Congress (TMC) member Santanu Sen was on Friday suspended from Rajya Sabha for the rest of the ongoing Monsoon Session for “unruly and unbecoming behaviour” a day after he snatched papers from information technology minister Ashwani Vaishnaw while he was reading a statement on the alleged use of Israeli software Pegasus to potentially target politicians, activists and journalists.

Union minister V Muraleedharan moved a motion for Sen’s suspension even as TMC’s chief whip Sukhendu Sekhar Roy objected, saying it was not on the list of business of the House (Arvind Yadav/HT PHOTO)

Union minister V Muraleedharan moved a motion for Sen’s suspension saying the TMC lawmaker’s behaviour brought “disrepute” to the house. Sen refused to leave the House even as he was asked to exit multiple times by Rajya Sabha chairperson M Venkaiah Naidu. Naidu earlier allowed the motion, which was subsequently passed in the House.

TMC’s chief whip, Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, objected to the motion, saying it was not on the list of business of the House. Roy said TMC was given no time to prepare.“We have had no opportunity to react to the government’s motion to suspend Shantanu Sen,” he said.

Naidu countered Ray’s objections. He said the motion was approved as it was a question of the “dignity of the House”.

TMC lawmaker Derek O’Brien raised the issue of “hooliganism” by members of the ruling party. Naidu refused to entertain the allegations and adjourned the Rajya Sabha until 12:30. Sen continued to refuse to leave the House even after it resumed, prompting the deputy chairperson Harivansh to ask him to leave.

Sen snatched the papers from the minister, tore them, and flung them in the air amid a heated exchange with Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri. The TMC alleged that Puri abused Sen and complained to Harivansh. Sen said he was surrounded and threatened.

Harivansh asked the members to desist from unparliamentary behaviour, before adjourning the House for the day on Thursday.

The government sought Sen’s suspension under Rule 256 (2). The rule says a lawmaker, who “disregards the authority of the Chair or abuses the rules of the Council” through “wilful” disruptions can be suspended from the House for up to the remainder of the parliamentary session if the Rajya Sabha chairman “deems it necessary”. Once the motion is moved, there can be no debate or adjournment allowed, the rule says. Last year, the same rule was applied to suspend eight opposition members from Rajya Sabha for a week after their protests against the farm laws.

Protests have rocked Parliament over the alleged targeting of phones with military-grade spyware, the controversial farm laws, and income tax raids on the premises of a newspaper group. They have forced repeated adjournments and allowed little business in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.