Disobeying the Chair is undemocratic: Naidu tells Opposition MPs

The Opposition MPs were up in arms demanding the revocation of suspension of 12 MPs

Disobeying the Chair and disturbing the House are "undemocratic", Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said on Wednesday as Opposition continued its protest inside the House on the suspension of 12 MPs, leading to a brief adjournment and boycott of the proceedings by the protesting lawmakers, who held a day-long dharna.

As soon as the House assembled in the morning, Naidu announced the rejection of notices to suspend business and discuss issues like Minimum Support Price for crops and repeal of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act. The Opposition MPs were up in arms demanding the revocation of suspension.

Naidu disallowed their submission but first called Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge to put his views. Kharge said, "We are repeatedly requesting that our 12 MPs have been suspended from this House. They should be called back and suspension should be revoked. This (suspension) is illegal, undemocratic and unconstitutional. I can prove it is wrong. We are ready to cooperate, Sir."

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"This action was not taken by the Chair. The action was taken by the House on a resolution moved by the Leader of the House," Naidu said.

When Trinamool's Sushmita Dev said that the suspended MPs were sitting outside, Naidu asked what can he do as he had not asked them to sit outside.

He said, "disobeying the chair is undemocratic. Disturbing the House is undemocratic. You cannot be having this every day. This is not the way. You are compounding the offence. What is this? You are not letting the House function for the last 10 days. This is not allowed."

He went on to say that the protesting MPs are not allowing MPs to raise issues like MSP, Omicron, Covid-19 and other issues during the Zero Hour. "What is your interest, I am not able to understand. Do not test the patience of the country. Some Members do not want Zero Hour. They do not want members to raise public issues... They are creating a situation in the House that is very awkward."

Naidu said he has already suggested that the Leader of the Opposition, other leaders, the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and the Leader of the House sit together, discuss the issue and see to it that the House is allowed to function in an orderly manner.

"Creating disorder, defending something which is not defendable and then trying to force me for an action is not reasonable at all. You are not understanding it in spite of my telling. The action was taken because the papers were torn, files were taken away, mikes were broken, people came onto the Table, the entry was blocked to the Chairman's room and marshals were attacked. You say that it was right and the action of suspension was wrong. This is wrong," he said, adjourning the House till 12 noon.

Opposition MPs did not attend the House after this and attended a dharna at the Gandhi Statue in Parliament House in solidarity with the suspended MPs.

In the absence of Opposition MPs, the Question Hour was held while in the afternoon session, the government passed The Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Bill, 2021 and The Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2020 with amendments.

The Surrogacy Bill was earlier passed by Lok Sabha but Rajya Sabha had referred it to a Select Committee. It will now go back to Lok Sabha for approval.