Accept notices, don't censor opposition: TMC's Derek O'Brien lists suggestions for new VP

New Delhi: Vice President-elect C P Radhakrishnan who will also be Rajya Sabha chairperson should accept notices given by opposition parties and not censor them, TMC MP Derek O'Brien said on Wednesday while putting forward a raft of suggestions.

Radhakrishnan, who was voted into office on Tuesday, should ensure that more bills are sent for scrutiny, O'Brien said in a lengthy blogpost. Mass suspensions should not happen, he added.

"Good wishes to the newly elected Vice President of India, CP Radhakrishnan. Eight suggestions for the new Vice President, who will also serve as the Chairman of Rajya Sabha," the Rajya Sabha MP said.

The TMC leader said an important tool that enables MPs in the opposition to hold the Union government accountable is submitting notices seeking discussions on important issues.

"In the eight years between 2009 and 2016, 110 notices were admitted into the Rajya Sabha for discussions. In the next eight years, between 2017 and 2024, that number dropped to an abysmal 36," he said.

He said Rule 267 of the Rajya Sabha states that a member may ask the Chair to suspend the business listed for the day, and instead take up a discussion on an issue of urgent national importance.

"Under the watch of Venkaiah Naidu and Jagdeep Dhankar, in eight years, not even one discussion was allowed under this rule," he said.

The Trinamool Congress leader pointed out that 146 MPs were suspended from Parliament in December 2023. "A dubious record. For context, during the 10 years of UPA I and UPA II, a total of 50 MPs were suspended," he said.

He also said the panel of vice chairpersons in Rajya Sabha should not be seen as a "perk", and only those MPs with considerable experience should be chosen to perform this duty. "The political party they are in needs to be (informally) consulted before names are announced." According to O'Brien, visuals of opposition MPs protesting inside Parliament are not shown on government-run Sansad TV. Stressing that opposition protests should not be censored, he asked, "Cameras and online edits of the proceedings only show the Treasury Benches. Is this fair?" The new Rajya Sabha chairperson should also ensure that more bills are referred to parliamentary committees, he said.

He said in the 14th Lok Sabha, six out of 10 bills were sent to various committees for scrutiny. In the 15th Lok Sabha, it was seven out of 10. In the 16th Lok Sabha, this number fell to around three of 10, and in the 17th Lok Sabha, only two of 10 bills were examined by a parliamentary committee, he said.

"When a Bill is referred to a parliamentary committee, it goes through critical examination with stakeholders and experts being consulted. This scrutiny often helps improve the quality of legislation," he said.

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said the chairperson should accept points of order, and division (voting on bills) should allowed when sought by MPs. He also urged the new chairperson to do away with birthday greetings, and said the time can be utilised on other important business.

Radhakrishnan was elected the 15th vice president of India on Tuesday, bagging 452 votes against Opposition nominee and former Supreme Court judge B Sudershan Reddy's 300 votes, amid indications of cross-voting in his favour.

The 67-year-old is a seasoned politician from Tamil Nadu with an RSS background and decades-long stint first in the Jana Sangh and then the BJP. Seen as a soft-spoken and non-confrontational leader, he succeeds Jagdeep Dhankhar, who suddenly resigned as vice president on July 21 almost two years before his term was to end.

He is the third leader from Tamil Nadu to occupy the coveted post.