Privileges Panel of Rajya Sabha to meet on January 9, hear 11 suspended MPs

NEW DELHI: The Privileges Committee of Rajya Sabha is scheduled to meet next week, where 11 opposition MPs will be given an opportunity to put across their views over the issue of their suspension for unruly conduct during the recently concluded Winter Session of Parliament. According to the sources, the Privileges Committee of the Rajya Sabha, chaired by Deputy Chairman Harivansh, has convened a meeting on January 9.

The Committee has various matters pending before it, including the matter pertaining to the suspension of 11 MPs during the recently concluded winter session. The MPs will continue to remain suspended until their case is considered by the House after receiving the report of the Privileges Committee. A total of 146 MPs - 100 from Lok Sabha and 46 from Rajya Sabha - were suspended during the recently concluded Winter session of Parliament after they brought placards and raised slogans, demanding a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah on the issue of breach of Parliament security.

Notably, 11 MPs from Rajya Sabha were suspended for creating "grave disorder" in their respective Houses on December 18 which led to their suspension and their cases being referred to the Privileges Committee. In the Rajya Sabha, 46 members were suspended during the Winter Session, including 11 whose case was referred to the Privileges Committee of the Upper House.

The Privileges Committee of Lok Sabha is also scheduled to meet on January 12 and discuss the suspension of three MPs--K Jayakumar, Abdul Khaleque and Vijayakumar Vijay Vasanth--from the House during the Winter Session for 'unruly behaviour'. The three MPs will get an opportunity to record oral evidence before the Committee.

Earlier on Tuesday, while responding to the same, Abdul Khaleque hit out at Union Home Minister Amit Shah over a Parliament security breach on December 13, when two youths jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber during Zero Hour, setting off smoke cans and raising slogans, asking why Shah did not speak over the matter.

"We will go and we say that all we demanded was Home Minister to come to Parliament and speak on how the security breach happened in Parliament and whose fault was it?...why didn't he come? 146 MPs were suspended...our matter was sent to the privilege committee and the committee has called us so we will go," the Congress leader said while speaking to ANI.