Trinamool MP's act attacks parliamentary democracy, suspended from Rajya Sabha

(PTI) New Delhi, Dt

On the issue of Pegasus espionage, Trinamool Congress MP Shantanu Sen's act of snatching a statement from IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnav and tearing it up is an attack on the country's parliamentary democracy, said Rajya Sabha Speaker M.S. Venkaiah Naidu on Friday suspended the Trinamool leader from the House for the next full session. Sen was suspended by the Speaker of the House after the government passed a resolution against Shantanu Sen by a voice vote in the House. On the other hand, the issue of Pegasus espionage was the fifth consecutive day of opposition in both houses of Parliament. Therefore, the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha have been adjourned till Monday.

Venkaiah Naidu was outraged over the frequent disruption of the Rajya Sabha by the Opposition and urged the MPs to allow the House to function peacefully so that more meaningful decisions could be taken. Naidu said the House could not function during the entire week except for a discussion on Corona. There is no point in disrupting the functioning of the House. Parliamentary Affairs Minister V.S. Muralitharan had filed a motion against Trinamool MP Shantanu Sen. After the motion was passed, the Speaker suspended Sen for the entire session. However, the House proceedings were repeatedly disrupted as Sen did not leave.

Referring to IT Minister Vaishnav's statement on the Pegasus issue, Naidu said, "Unfortunately, the House proceedings reached a new low on Thursday." Papers were pulled from the minister's hand and torn and thrown into the air. The act is clearly tantamount to an attack on parliamentary democracy. Meanwhile, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned four times on Friday due to the opposition's uproar. Opposition leader in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Khadge had demanded a discussion on the Pegasus espionage issue when the House met at 8.30 am after the third adjournment. In reply, Deputy Leader of the House Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that the Union IT Minister has responded to the issue. However, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned till Monday as the opposition continued to rage.

In the Lok Sabha, on the other hand, Health Minister Mansukh Mandvia said that Prime Minister Modi had said many times that the issue of vaccination program should not be politicized. The government's goal is to vaccinate everyone over the age of 18. Opposition groups called for a boycott of the Pegasus espionage. Rahul Gandhi demanded a discussion on the issue, an inquiry into the matter under the supervision of several current Supreme Court judges following the resignation of the Home Minister. Rahul Gandhi said that Pegasus has been used as a weapon. Normally this software is used against terrorists, but PM Modi and the Home Minister are using it against states and institutions. The proceedings in the Lok Sabha were also adjourned till Monday due to the opposition's uproar.