Thaindian News

New Delhi, March 10 (IANS) Members of the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) walked out of the Rajya Sabha Wednesday demanding that the suspension of seven MPs be revoked. The MPs were suspended Tuesday for unruly behaviour and had to be forcibly removed from the house before the debate on the Women’s Reservation Bill.
The SP members, who found support in their demand from other opposition parties, said they would take part in the proceedings only after the suspension was revoked. However, Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari said the members had been suspended through a motion moved by the government and the members should discuss it separately.

Brij Bhushan Tiwari of the SP stood up soon after the house met in the morning to make the demand.

Leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley said the government should bring a motion Wednesday and withdraw suspension. He said that the members should separately meet the chairman and “make amends for what happened”.

He was supported by Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Sitaram Yechury.

Congress members P.J. Kurien and Satyavrat Chaturvedi demanded that the suspended members should apologise to Ansari and assure him that the unruly behaviour would not be repeated.

SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav said his party members would not take part in the proceedings till a decision was taken on withdrawing the suspension.

SP members then staged a walkout and were followed by RJD MPs.

RJD member Prem Chand Gupta, however, said it was not correct to insist on an apology from the members as “whatever happened, took place in particular circumstances”.

The MPs suspended for unruly behavior were Kamal Akhtar, Veerpal Singh Yadav, Amir Alam Khan and Nand Kishore Yadav of the SP, Ejaz Ali of the Janata Dal-United, Sabir Ali of the Lok Janshakti Party and Subhash Prasad Yadav of the RJD.