Current affairs

From offering tea to MPs to observing 'fast': See how Rajya Sabha Deputy chairman unfolded a drama!

By alagu, 22 September, 2020
India, Parliament, Farmers, Rajya Sabha

The Parliament premises has unfolded a high-level drama on Tuesday after the sit-in protests of the suspended Rajya Sabha MPs had seen an uninvited guest - The Deputy Chairman of the Upper house, who came not only to meet but also offered tea to the protesting MPs who were suspended from the house for their unruly behavior towards him during the proceedings of passing the new farm bills. 

The eight MPs of different parties, who were suspended from the ongoing session of the Parliament on Monday, had staged a protest near Mahatma Gandhi's statue in the Parliament on Monday with the demand to revoke their suspension. They have spent the night on the lawns. One of the suspended MPs Sanjay Singh, who belongs to the Aam Aadmi Party, took to Twitter and said they had spent the whole night under the open sky. 

They continued their protests for the second straight day. On the morning hours of Tuesday, the MPs had seen the presence of the uninvited guest as Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha Harivansh Singh had come to meet the MPs, who were suspended due to their actions in the house when Harivansh was in the chair. Their suspension charge includes the unruly behavior shown against the deputy chairman. 

As the MPs had been protesting against the suspension, Harivansh had brought tea and snacks to the protesting MPs, only to have denial in return as the MPs didn't accept the tea and snacks offered by the Deputy chairman and continued their protests. AAP MP Sanjay Singh said that the deputy chairman came here on Tuesday morning and the protesting MPs had told him that rules and norms were completely disregarded in the way anti-farmer bills were passed in Rajya Sabha on Sunday. 

 

Sanjay Singh stated that he had pressed the Deputy chairman that it was truly unfair that Harivansh didn't allow division of votes on the farm bills, which the members asked for, in Rajya Sabha, where BJP didn't have a majority mark. According to reports, though the MPs had rejected Harivansh's offering of tea and snacks, the gesture shown by the Deputy Chairman was lauded by the Prime Minister. By commending Harivansh's gesture, Modi took to Twitter and appreciated the greatness of the deputy chairman. 

In his message, Modi said, "For centuries, the great land of Bihar has been teaching us the values of democracy. In line with that wonderful ethos, MP from Bihar and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson Shri Harivansh Ji’s inspiring and statesman like conduct this morning will make every democracy lover proud". 

"To personally serve tea to those who attacked and insulted him a few days ago as well as those sitting on Dharna shows that Shri Harivansh Ji has been blessed with a humble mind and a big heart. It shows his greatness. I join the people of India in congratulating Harivansh Ji.", the Prime Minister added. Harivansh had further gained attention after he announced that he would observe a 24-hour-long fast on Tuesday. 

 

Harivansh's announcement has come moments after he met with the suspended MPs and he has decided to observe a fast to express his anguish at the unruly behavior shown by the opposition MPs against him. He addressed to Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu regarding his decision in which Harivansh said that the conduct by the opposition MPs towards him was humiliating. Responding to his letter, Naidu said "Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha wrote to me expressing his commitment to democracy and how he was treated. He wrote to me that in order to arouse the conscious of people he wanted to observe one-day fast". 

 

According to ANI, Deputy Chairman Harivansh had written to President Ram Nath Kovind against the unruly behaviour with him in the House by Opposition MPs during the passing of agriculture Bills on 20th September. The suspended MPs Trinamool Congress' Derek O'Brien, Dola Sen, Aam Aadmi Party's Sanjay Singh, Congress MPs Rajeev Satav, Ripun Bora, Syed Nasir Hussain, and KK Ragesh, and Elamaram Kareem from the Marxist Communist Party. 

Must-read: Chaos and protests over farm bills: Eight opposition MPs were suspended from Rajya Sabha!

 

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