Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien suspended from Rajya Sabha for Winter Session

File Photo/ANI

Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and member of Rajya Sabha Derek O'Brien was suspended from the Rajya Sabha for the remaining period of the Winter Session due to his alleged "unruly behaviour" and "misconduct" within the parliamentary chambers.

On Thursday, the day unfolded as the House reconvened at noon following an initial adjournment, only to witness the Chairman, Jagdeep Dhankhar, naming Derek O'Brien and cautioning him against disrupting proceedings and chanting slogans.

Earlier in the day, the Chairman had identified O'Brien for his "unruly behaviour" and instructed him to vacate the House. However, O'Brien chose to remain inside, following which Dhankhar accused him of violating the Chair's directions and disrupting the House's proceedings.

Leader of the House, Piyush Goyal, was subsequently permitted to present a motion addressing O'Brien's alleged misconduct. The motion, adopting a voice vote, resulted in the suspension of Derek O'Brien for the remainder of the session.

The Chairman, Dhankhar, announced the suspension and adjourned the proceedings until 2 PM, facing protests from the opposition members who vehemently opposed the suspension.

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Chairman Dhankhar expressed concern over O'Brien's "gross defiance" of the Chair's directions, emphasizing that despite being named and directed to withdraw from the Council, O'Brien not only remained in the chamber but also continued shouting slogans and gesturing aggressively.

"I again name Derek O'Brien under Rule 256 for violating the directions of the House," declared the Chairman as he suspended the TMC member.

Leader of the House, Piyush Goyal, outlined the seriousness of Derek O'Brien's "misconduct" in a motion. Goyal stated that the House had taken note of O'Brien's entry into the well of the House, continuously shouting slogans, and disrupting proceedings, all in blatant disregard for the authority of the Chair.

The motion was swiftly put to vote and adopted with a voice vote, officially sealing Derek O'Brien's suspension for the remaining duration of the session. The announcement of the suspension was met with opposition members shouting "No" in unison, accompanied by slogans protesting against dictatorship and expressing their refusal to accept O'Brien's suspension.

Undeterred by the suspension, the Chairman attempted to resume the Question Hour, but the uproar from opposition members prevented the smooth functioning of the House.

"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," remarked Chairman Dhankhar while adjourning the proceedings until 2 PM.

Derek O'Brien had been demanding a discussion on the security breach that occurred in Parliament the previous day. Two individuals breached security protocols, entering the Lok Sabha chamber and releasing colored smoke and slogans during Zero Hour on the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack. The breach ended with the individuals being subdued by MPs. (With inputs from PTI)