Derek O'Brien among 14 MPs suspended over Lok Sabha, and one from Rajya Sabha for "unruly" conduct in Parliament.

Before their suspension, the MPs moved into the Well of the House raising slogans with demand of a statement from the government on the Wednesday security breach.

PTI, 14 December 2023 : Fourteen opposition MPs from different parties were suspended from the Lok Sabha for the remaining period of Winter Session on Thursday for disrupting House proceedings.

Amid demands from the opposition for a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the security breach in Lok Sabha, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi moved two resolutions on separate occasions for the suspension of the MPs. Before their suspension, the MPs moved into the Well of the House raising slogans with demand of a statement from the government on the Wednesday security breach.

The House witnessed the first adjournment during the question hour when it was adjourned till 2 pm amid opposition's uproar. At 2 pm, Joshi read a statement on behalf of the government and said the internal security in Parliament comes under the purview of the Speaker. He then moved a resolution amid the din to suspend five MPs.

"I move the following that this House having taken misconduct of T N Prathapan, Hibi Eden, Jothimani, Ramya Haridas and Dean Kuriakose in utter disregard to the House and the authority of this Chair and having been named by the chair … to be suspended from the service of the House for reminder session," the resolution read. The House was then adjourned till 3 pm.

As soon as the House met at 3 pm, Joshi moved a second resolution to suspend VK Sreekandan (Cong), Benny Behanan (Cong), Mohammad Jawed (Cong), PR Natarajan (CPI-M), Kanimozhi (DMK), K Subbarayan (CPI), SR Parthiban (DMK), S Venkatesan (CPI-M), and Manickam Tagore (Cong). An MP claimed later that Prathiban was named among the suspended MPs even as he is not present in Delhi and is in Chennai.

The House was adjourned to meet again on Friday. Some of the suspended members continued to protest in the House even after the adjournment. A few of them came out after some time. Opposition members in the Lok Sabha on Thursday held vociferous protests demanding a statement from the government on the Parliament security breach even as Speaker Om Birla asserted that security of the Parliament complex is the responsibility of the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

The Winter Session of Parliament, which started on December 4, will conclude on December 22.

Meanwhile, TMC member Derek O'Brien was on Thursday suspended from the Rajya Sabha for the remaining part of  the Winter Session for his "unruly behaviour" and "misconduct" in the House.  

Soon after the House assembled at noon after an initial adjournment, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar named O'Brien and warned him against disrupting the House proceedings and raising slogans in utter disregard of the directions of  the Chair. The Chairman had earlier named O'Brien in the morning for his "unruly behaviour" and had asked him to leave the House. But he remained inside the House. 

Accusing O'Brien of violating the directions of the Chair and for disrupting the proceedings of the House, the chairman allowed Leader of the House Piyush Goyal to move a motion in this regard. The motion was adopted with a voice vote and the chairman announced that O'Brien stands suspended from the House for the remainder of the session. Dhankhar then adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm as members of the opposition protested the suspension. 

"Gross defiance to directions imparted by the chair was noticed when Derek O'Brien despite being named and directions being given to withdraw from the Council immediately continued to not only remain in the chamber but should slogans, gesticulated aggressively. Such gross misconduct on part of  Derek O'Brien cannot be countenanced. I again name Derek O'Brien under Rule 256 for violating the directions of the House," the Chairman said soon after the House met.

Reading out the motion, Goyal said the House has taken a serious note of the "misconduct" of Derek O'Brien, who entered the well of the House and has been continuously shouting slogans and disrupting the proceedings of the House in utter disregard to the authority of  the Chair.

Putting the motion to vote, the Chair said the same has been adopted with a voice vote. "The motion is adopted. Derek O'Brien, member, is suspended for the remaining part of  the session,"  the  Chairman  announced,  with  Opposition members shouting "No" in chorus. They also raised slogans like "tanashahi nahin chalegi" (dictatorship will not be tolerated) and "Derek ka suspension nahin sahenge" (will not tolerate suspension). 

The Chairman then announced the start of  the Question Hour, but members continued to created in and did not allow the House to function. "Honourable members, the only loser for not continuing with the Question  Hour  is  the  Opposition.  

The  government's response has already come. It is absolute disregard of public duty and conduct and respect for the public," the Chairman announced while adjourning the proceedings till 2 pm. O'Brien was demanding a discussion on the issue of breach in Parliament security.