The Rajya Sabha faced turmoil on Tuesday regarding the suspension of TMC MP Derek O’Brien. Initially, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar declared O’Brien’s withdrawal from the House, but he later clarified that the suspension motion was not subjected to a vote, allowing O’Brien to participate in the proceedings.
After Dhankhar’s “far-sighted” choice to avoid voting on the suspension motion, O’Brien was granted permission to attend the House’s activities.
Numerous members, including Congress’ Pramod Tiwari, urged the Chair to take a lenient view on O’Brien, but the Chairman asked why he should show leniency.
“If O’Brien had been suspended from the House for this session, do you think he would have been allowed to enter the House again? Can he come back again?” the Chairman said, adding that for him, action against any member is a matter of pain.
The Chairman emphasised that by not allowing the motion to pass fully, he enabled O’Brien’s continued presence in the House. He clarified that he deliberately refrained from gauging the House’s sentiment, underscoring his responsibility to maintain the House’s functioning.
The Chairman also noted his accommodating approach to O’Brien’s requests when the TMC MP visited his chamber.
The chair and O’Brien had a spat during the deliberations on the Delhi Services Bill on Monday evening, when Dhankhar accused O’Brien of engaging in “theatrical actions” within the House to gain publicity.
