New Delhi:
Will the suspension of the seven Rajya Sabha members marshaled out of the House while protesting against the Women's Reservation Bill on Tuesday be revoked? Their parties threw their weight behind the MPs on Wednesday demanding that they be allowed back and the government has said it can be done if they apologise to the Chairman of the Upper House.
But the MPs themselves show no remorse. "As far as the government is concerned, they are expecting us to apologise and it will not happen even if they cancel our membership," said Kamal Akhtar, suspended Samajwadi Party MP said.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Bansal made clear that: "If the members who have been suspended express regret to the Chairman we can consider revoking the suspension."
As Parliament opened on Wednesday, RJD and Samajwadi Party members staged a walk out in the Rajya Sabha demanding revocation of the suspension. As soon as the Question Hour began, the issue was raised by Ramgopal Yadav (SP) and supported by RJD members. Even CPM leader Sitaram Yechury favoured the revocation of the suspension.
Members from the treasury benches, however, insisted that the suspended members should tender apology.(Read: 7 suspended MPs not sorry, critical of eviction)
Prem Chand Gupta, Rajniti Prasad, Jabir Husain (all RJD), Ramgopal Yadav, Brij Bhushan Tewari and other SP members then walked out even as Chairman Hamid Ansari said the matter can be discussed later and Question Hour should be allowed to run. (Read: Rajya Sabha passes historic Women's Bill)
Seven members, including four from SP and one from RJD, were suspended on Tuesday for remaining period of the budget session. (Read: Sonia encounter with Lalu, Mulayam)
Gupta later told PTI, "We will boycott the House till the suspension order is revoked. Our members were humiliated in the most undemocratic manner yesterday, which is unfortunate."
In an effort to avoid a repeat of the severe disruptions in the Rajya Sabha, Speaker of the Lok Sabha Meira Kumar has called a meeting and has decided that items like paper weights, which could cause injury if flung by irate MPs, will be banned in the House. Other items like drinking water glasses have also been banned.
(With PTI inputs)
But the MPs themselves show no remorse. "As far as the government is concerned, they are expecting us to apologise and it will not happen even if they cancel our membership," said Kamal Akhtar, suspended Samajwadi Party MP said.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Bansal made clear that: "If the members who have been suspended express regret to the Chairman we can consider revoking the suspension."
As Parliament opened on Wednesday, RJD and Samajwadi Party members staged a walk out in the Rajya Sabha demanding revocation of the suspension. As soon as the Question Hour began, the issue was raised by Ramgopal Yadav (SP) and supported by RJD members. Even CPM leader Sitaram Yechury favoured the revocation of the suspension.
Members from the treasury benches, however, insisted that the suspended members should tender apology.(Read: 7 suspended MPs not sorry, critical of eviction)
Prem Chand Gupta, Rajniti Prasad, Jabir Husain (all RJD), Ramgopal Yadav, Brij Bhushan Tewari and other SP members then walked out even as Chairman Hamid Ansari said the matter can be discussed later and Question Hour should be allowed to run. (Read: Rajya Sabha passes historic Women's Bill)
Seven members, including four from SP and one from RJD, were suspended on Tuesday for remaining period of the budget session. (Read: Sonia encounter with Lalu, Mulayam)
Gupta later told PTI, "We will boycott the House till the suspension order is revoked. Our members were humiliated in the most undemocratic manner yesterday, which is unfortunate."
In an effort to avoid a repeat of the severe disruptions in the Rajya Sabha, Speaker of the Lok Sabha Meira Kumar has called a meeting and has decided that items like paper weights, which could cause injury if flung by irate MPs, will be banned in the House. Other items like drinking water glasses have also been banned.
(With PTI inputs)
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