Talk it out: Naidu to Centre, Opposition on suspension of 12 MPs

Naidu also objected to the Opposition defending the 'sacrilege' of Parliament and suspension of 12 MPs

Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday objected to the "sacrilege" of Parliament and Opposition's defence of the suspension of 12 MPs saying it is setting "new norms of democracy" even as he asked the government and it's opponents to "talk it out" and allow the House "to do its mandated job".

Naidu made the remarks at the beginning of the proceedings of the day citing he has no other forum to share his "anguish and thoughts" even as Opposition MPs rose in protest for not allowing Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge to speak, leading to adjournment.

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Rajya Sabha could not transact any meaningful business, except for passing The Farm Laws Repeal Bill without debate, as Opposition continued demanding the revocation of suspension of the MPs for the entire Winter Session.

"Some of the respected leaders and members of this august House, in their wisdom, chose to describe the suspension of 12 members as ‘undemocratic’. I have struggled to understand if there was any justification in that kind of a narrative being propagated but could not," he said as suspended MPs continued their protest at the Gandhi Statue in Parliament House.

Stating that this was not the first time that something like this was happening, he said that starting from 1962, it happened on 11 occasions till 2010 following a motion moved by the governments of the day.

"Were all of them undemocratic? If so, why it was resorted to so many times?" he asked, adding that The Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business "clearly provide" for suspension of members for disrupting the proceedings of the House and for misconduct lowering the dignity of the House under Rules 255 and 256.

Also Read — MPs’ suspension cause for disquiet

He said he did not want to "recall those forgettable acts of misconduct during the last Monsoon Session" as the reasons for the latest suspensions were in the public domain.

"While calling this suspension as undemocratic, both within and outside the House, not even a word is being said about the reasons given for the suspension, the disdainful conduct of some members during the last session, which I have categorically called as ‘acts of sacrilege’ on the last day of last session," he said.

"Unfortunately, a message is sought to be sent out that ‘sacrilege’ of the House is democratic but action against such sacrilege is undemocratic. I am sure people of the country would not buy this new norms of democracy," he said.

Naidu also found fault with the suspended MPs insisting that they would not apologise and pointed out that such suspensions were revoked prematurely after erring lawmakers expressed remorse.

"Then what is the way forward? You don’t want to regret your misconduct but insist on revoking the decision of this House taken as per due process stipulated under the Rules of the House. Does this amount to upholding the principles of democracy?" he asked.

Emphasising that it was human to err and it is also human to make amends, he said one cannot refuse to amend and insist on glossing over the wrongdoings.

"Suspensions, either in the past or now, are only the expression of disapproval of the acts of misconduct of some members by the House. Disapproval of undemocratic conduct in the House can’t be decried as undemocratic, for sure," he said.

"It is for this House to take a view on its earlier decision of suspension of members. It is for all the concerned to take it forward. I urge both the sides of this august House to talk it out and let the House do its mandated job," he said.

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