Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday said the extension of the suspension of Congress MP Rajani Patil beyond the Budget session of the Parliament is a “blatant violation” of the Rules of Procedure and “well-established parliamentary traditions.” In a strongly worded letter to Rajya Sabha chairman and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Kharge said meting out such a “disgraceful treatment” to a “very diligent and a committed member” of the House is a “gross insult to a devoted woman parliamentarian.”
Patil was suspended from the upper house for the remaining part of the Budget session on grounds of parliamentary misconduct after she tweeted a video wherein opposition MPs could be seen protesting against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reply to the debate on Motion of Thanks to the President’s address.
Dhankhar has extended the suspension of the Congress MP beyond the current session until the house receives recommendations on the matter from the Privileges Committee. The committee in its meeting last month had recommended the chairman to consider granting the extension in order to complete its investigation.
“Taking note of the inputs from the Privileges Committee, I find it expedient, invoking rule 266 read with rule 256, that the February 10, 2023 suspension order of Smt. Rajani Ashokrao Patil may continue to be in force beyond the current Session and till the House has the benefit of the recommendations by the Privileges Committee,” Dhankhar said.
Kharge, in his letter, reminded the Rajya Sabha chairman of his meeting with 13 opposition party members who had requested Dhankhar to revoke Patil’s suspension.
“You, however, chose to ignore this collective request made by floor leaders of opposition parties,” he said. “Such a development is most unfortunate and unprecedented in the parliamentary history.”
“In view of the foregoing, meting out such a disgraceful treatment to Smt. Rajani Ashokrao Patil is a gross insult to a devoted woman parliamentarian. In such a situation, I cannot help myself but to place on record in strongest possible terms my grave displeasure and anguish, which is shared by my party colleagues as well as my other colleagues of 19 like minded Opposition Parties in both Houses of Parliament, over this gross parliamentary misdemeanour,” Kharge added.
Sharing Kharge’s letter on Twitter, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, “My colleague Rajani Patil continues to remain suspended from the Rajya Sabha. LoP and Congress President, Shri Mallikarjun Kharge ji, has just written to the Chairman on this grave injustice being done to her by the Modi regime. This is truly unprecedented!”
