Hours after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said that the suspension of 11 opposition MPs in Rajya Sabha would be revoked on the government’s request, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar revoked their suspension allowing them to attend the Budget session. The Rajya Sabha Privileges Committee held 11 suspended opposition MPs guilty of breach of privilege and contempt of the Council of States.
The committee submitted the report to Dhankhar, acknowledging the circumstances that the suspended members would be unable to participate in the special address by President Droupadi Murmu to both Houses of Parliament on Wednesday, marking the first address in the new Parliament building. In its report, submitted to the Rajya Sabha chairman a day before the session commences on Wednesday, the committee also proposed considering the duration of suspension already served by the members as an adequate penalty for the violation.
The MPs are Jebi Mather Hisham, L Hanumanthaiah, Neeraj Dangi, Rajmani Patel, Kumar Ketkar, GC Chandrashekhar, Binoy Viswam, Santhosh Kumar P, M Mohamed Abdulla, John Brittas and AA Rahim. The committee usually submits its recommendations to the House. The sources said the chairman invoked the authority vested in him under the rules of procedure to revoke their suspension enabling the members to attend the special address by the president.
The matter of 11 MPs suspended by the chairman during the Winter session of Parliament was referred to the Privileges Committee.