8 MPs suspended for protesting against farm bills

Eight opposition members have been suspended from the Rajya Sabha for the rest of the session over the chaos in the house during the passing of controversial farm bills.

These are Trinamool Congress’s Derek O’Brien, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s Sanjay Singh, Congress’s Rajeev Satav and CPM’s KK Ragesh. They were told they had displayed “unruly behaviour..and disorderly conduct”.

“I am pained at what happened yesterday. It defies logic. It is a bad day for Rajya Sabha,” said Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu.

Naidu said the MPs threw papers, wrenched mics away, “physically threatened” Deputy Chairman Harivansh Singh and even abused him.

“I am naming Mr Derek O Brien. Please go out of the house,” said Naidu.

Two of the government’s three farm bills, which have led to massive protests by opposition parties and farmers, were passed on Sunday.

At one point, marshals formed a wall between the Deputy Chairman and the protesting members.

The bills, which were cleared in the Lok Sabha earlier, will now go to the President for approval before becoming law.

The opposition, which lacked the numbers to block legislation, had called for the farms bills to be sent to a select committee for review. They had also asked for the discussion to be extended. This was refused.

A voice vote took place and opposition MPs sat on protest in the house. Nearly 50 members moved a no-confidence motion against Harivansh Singh.

“This does not end here,” said Derek O’Brien, terming it a “murder of democracy” “They cheated. They broke every rule in Parliament. It was a historic day. In the worst sense of the word. They cut RSTV feed so the country couldn’t see. They censored RSTV. Don’t spread propaganda. We have evidence,” tweeted O’Brien.

After the bills were passed, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: “For decades, the Indian farmer was bound by various constraints and bullied by middlemen. The bills passed by Parliament liberate the farmers from such adversities. These bills will add impetus to the efforts to double income of farmers and ensure greater prosperity for them.”

The opposition alleges that the proposed laws will give power in the hands of corporates and farmers will be deprived of fair price for their produce.