Suspension row: asks govt, Oppn to resolve stalemate
New Delhi, Dec 2 (IANS) Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday asked the government and the opposition to resolve the impasse over the suspension of 12 MPs.
Pained at the continuing stalemate, he said it was not the first time when the members were suspended. Such suspensions have taken place 11 times between 1962 and 2010.
"Were all of them undemocratic? If so, why it was resorted to so many times"? he asked.
Slamming the opposition for terming it "undemocratic," he said: "Some respected leaders and members of this August House, in their wisdom, chose to describe the suspension of 12 members as undemocratic."
"The disdainful conduct of some members during last session, which I have categorically called as acts of sacrilege."
He said that a message is sought to be sent out that 'sacrilege' of the House is "democratic" but action against such sacrilege is undemocratic which is unfortunate and people of the country will not accept it, he said, adding that members have not regretted their "unruly act" but want the suspension to be revoked.
On Monday, the Upper House had suspended 12 MPs for the entire winter session for creating ruckus in the House during the monsoon session on August 11.
The suspended MPs are from the Congress, Trinamool Congress, CPI, CPI-M and Shiv Sena.
The members are -- Syed Naseer Hussain, Akhilesh Prasad Singh, Phulo Devi Netam, Chhaya Verma, Ripun Bora and Rajmani Patel of the Congress, Priyanka Chaturvedi, Anil Desai of the Shiv Sena, Elamaram Kareem of the CPI-M, Binoy Viswam of the CPI, Dola Sen and Shanta Chhetri of the Trinamool.