As many as 10 Lok Sabha MPs could be suspended from the House for tearing and throwing papers on the Speaker and in the House during Question Hour, which, incidentally, could be held for the first time on Wednesday since the commencement of the Parliament’s Monsoon Session on July 19.
The Government will propose Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to take action against the Opposition MPs including TN Prathapan, Hibi Eden, Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Manickam Tagore, Deepak Baij, AM Ariff, Dean Kuriakose and Jothimani.
Last week, Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu had suspended TMC MP Santanu Sen for the remaining part of Monsoon Session for snatching papers from Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and tearing them in the House.
When papers were being laid, Congress members Gurjeet Aujala, TN Prathapan, Hibi Eden and some others threw business papers of the day besides some torn papers and placards at the Chair. A piece of the torn placard landed in the press gallery just above the Speaker’s podium.
They intensified their protests at 12 noon, when Speaker Om Birla left and Rajendra Agrawal took the chair.
The members repeatedly threw papers at the Chair and later towards the Treasury benches. However, Agrawal continued with the proceedings.
One of the papers landed near the seat of Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi. The Chair then adjourned the proceedings till 12:30 pm.
When the House reassembled at 12:30 pm, the din continued and Agrawal
adjourned Lok Sabha proceedings till 2 pm. As the protests continued, the House was again adjourned till 2:30 pm.
While Minister of State for parliamentary affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal said: “There will be some action, for sure (against the unruly MPs),” Union Minister Anurag Thakur told reporters outside the parliament building that there is a way to protest, but today, the opposition has damaged the dignity and decorum of the temple of our democracy.
Amidst the bedlam, the Lok Sabha passed two bills —The Appropriation Bill, 2021 and ‘The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2021’ .
The noisy protests from the opposition benches continued parallel to the Question Hour and answers were given by the ministers amidst the din.
From the word go, the Opposition members moved into the Well as they sought to raise various issues.
Some members were shouting slogans and displaying placards.
From the Pegasus spyware controversy to the three farm laws, the members wanted to raise various issues during the Question Hour.
On Tuesday, there were 10 adjournments in the Lower House before proceedings were adjourned for the day in the evening.
Opposition members have made it clear that they would not allow business to be run in the Lok Sabha and each day they troop into the well of the house the moment the day’s proceedings begin.