Rajya Sabha suspends AAP's Raghav Chadha for misconduct

Aam Aadmi Party MP Raghav Chadha was on Friday suspended from the Rajya Sabha for "gross violation of rules, misconduct, defiant attitude and contemptuous conduct", pending a report by the privileges committee.

His suspension followed a motion moved by Leader of the House Piyush Goyal who sought action against the AAP leader for including the names of some members of the Upper House without their consent in a proposed select committee for the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023.

The motion was passed by a voice vote in the Upper House.

The house also approved the continuation of suspension of senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh from the house, pending the privileges committee report.

Singh was suspended on July 24, four days after the monsoon session of Parliament began.

Earlier this week, a Rajya Sabha bulletin said chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar had received complaints from MPs Sasmit Patra, S Phangnon Konyak, M Thambidurai and Narhari Amin alleging breach of privilege by Chadha "for inter-alia including their names without their consent, in violation of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business, in a motion on August 7".

Chadha had proposed the constitution of a select committee to consider the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and had included the names of the four MPs.

Opposition members opposed the suspension of MPs.

Congress deputy leader in Rajya Sabha Pramod Tiwari said it was wrong to suspend members like this.

"Why has Raghav Chadha been suspended? Those members who had objections to their names (being included in the proposed select committee) could have gone to the chairman to say that they don't want to be part of the parliamentary panel.

"It is wrong to suspend Raghav Chadha in this manner. He will not enjoy several privileges available to an MP and neither will he be able to attend meetings of parliamentary committees," he said.

Tiwari said the entire opposition will raise the issue and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge will write to Dhankhar against Chadha's suspension.

On Singh's suspension, Tiwari said one session has gone and the AAP MP continues to be suspended.

Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said it was absolutely unfortunate the way the BJP-led government continues to suspend opposition members for asking questions.

"It is for the first time in the history of parliamentary democracy that a leader of opposition in Lok Sabha has been suspended. It is unfortunate and uncalled for," she said.

JMM MP Mahua Maji also decried Chadha's suspension, saying it is unfortunate as he is a very active MP of the opposition.

Congress MP Rajeev Shukla said the manner in which opposition leaders are being suspended one after the other is not proper.

The entire opposition is against the way opposition MPs are being suspended like this over small issues, he said.

"The entire opposition is united against it and will continue to oppose it," he said.

Shukla said the extension of Singh's suspension is also not proper.

AAP MP Sushil Kumar Rinku was suspended from Lok Sabha for unruly behaviour on August 3.