RS chairman rebukes AAP MP Raghav Chadha for 'cricket referral' gesture during security breach discussion

New Delhi: Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday rapped AAP MP Raghav Chadha for using a hand gesture to seek a 'point of order' following Opposition leaders' demand for a discussion over the security breach in Parliament.

Chadha gestured with his hand the way cricketers do when seeking TV referrals while seeking permission to raise a 'point of order'. This angered the Chairman who asked the AAP MP not to do so.

"You don't have to do (gesture) this to raise a point of order. Use your tongue. Don't do it. Otherwise, you will start dancing also. Don't do it, take your seat (sic)," Dhankhar said.

Dhankhar's remarks came during the Zero Hour after he refused permission to notices submitted by 23 MPs to suspend business and immediately discuss Wednesday's security breach in Parliament.

As Chadha sought to raise his objections, Dhankhar recalled the recent suspension of the AAP MP from the House and said, "You are the only person who is enjoying your conviction, your sentence (and) giving an impression that your suspension has been revoked. You were convicted, you were sentenced by the House (sic)."

Chadha's suspension ended on December 4, the first day of the Winter Session, with the Rajya Sabha adopting a motion to terminate the punishment after holding him guilty of presenting misleading facts to the media and adding names of MPs in a proposed Select Committee without their consent.

Chadha was suspended from the Upper House on August 11, the last day of the Monsoon Session. He later approached the Supreme Court on the matter.

Dhankhar said in the House on December 4, "The committee after deep and thoughtful consideration finds Raghav Chadha guilty of both the charges. Charge one is that he intentionally and deliberately presented misleading facts to the media, misinterpreted proceedings of the council, resulting in an affront to the authority of Chairman, Rajya Sabha, and engaged in outrageous defiance of the resolutions of the house and directives of the honourable chairman of the Rajya Sabha."

He also said Chadha was also found guilty of the charges of adding names of members to the proposed Select Committee of the House without their consent.

The motion to revoke Chadha's suspension was moved by BJP MP GVL Narasimha Rao, and read, “that this house resolves that Shri Raghav Chadha, member, be held guilty of breach of privileges, and the suspension suffered by him so far be taken as sufficient punishment and the house may consider discontinuance of suspension of Shri Raghav Chadha, member, from the service of the Council from this day.”