Rajya Sabha
Credit: PTI Photo
Rajya Sabha on Monday revoked the suspension of Congress MP Rajani Patil, who was held guilty of recording House proceedings and sharing it on social media against rules.
The MP from Maharashtra was suspended on February 10 this year during the Budget Session on charges of filming the Opposition protest inside the House while Prime Minister Narendra Modi was replying to the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address.
The Privileges Committee, headed by Deputy Chairman Harivansh, recommended that Patil be held guilty for breach of privilege but added that her suspension from the House be considered adequate punishment and revoked with effect from Monday.
Following this, BJP's Rakesh Sinha moved a motion to revoke her suspension, which was adopted by a voice vote.
Sources said the revocation of suspension comes after a series of consultations between the government and the Opposition. In the past one week, Opposition I.N.D.I.A leaders had spoken to Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on at least two occasions on the cases of Patil and Singh.
Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge and NCP chief Sharad Pawar along with Congress Rajya Sabha Chief Whip Jairam Ramesh had first met Dhankhar on August 2 to raise the issue. Leader of the House and senior Minister Piyush Goyal was also present in the meeting. On Friday, Congress Deputy Leader in Rajya Sabha Pramod Tiwari and Trinamool Congress floor leader Derek O'Brien had also raised the issue with Dhankhar.
On February 10, Dhankhar, who referred to a communication from BJP MP GVL Naramsimha Rao on the issue, said there has been “strong prima facie” material that suggested that Patil filmed the proceedings in violation of rules and taking note of the sentiments of the House, he was placing her under suspension with “deep anguish and pain”.
Before announcing his decision, Dhankhar gave floor to Patil on the suggestion of Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge. An emotional Patil said she was pained at the way discussions were happening on the episode, which is a result of committing a wrong unknowingly. She said she comes from a freedom fighter’s family and if the Chairman felt that she was in the wrong, he could suspend her for the entire term. “I am even willing to resign,” she said.
While Rao said Patil’s actions were a clear violation of rules and directions by the Chair, senior Congress MP Mukul Wasnik had come to the support of Patil and said that the reporting of the proceedings during the Prime Minister’s speech on Sansad TV-Rajya Sabha was “one sided” and it "did not correctly reflected” the developments.