AAP MP Sanjay Singh suspended for remaining Parliament Monsoon Session
Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday suspended Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh for the remainder of the ongoing Parliament Monsoon Session for "unruly behavior" in the House during a protest over the Manipur issue. Both Houses were adjourned till 2:00pm on Monday following a ruckus by opposition members demanding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's presence and a statement on Manipur violence.
Why does this story matter?
After nearly three months of ethnic conflicts, the situation in Manipur took center stage last week after a video of two women facing sexual abuse went viral. The opposition accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of deliberately dodging discussion on the Manipur issue to hide its incompetence. The stalemate between the government and the opposition has stalled proceedings in the ongoing Monsoon Session.
Piyush Goyal moved motion to suspend Singh
As members were presenting questions in the Rajya Sabha on the third day of the Monsoon Session, Singh went to the well of the House while pointing at the chairman. Dhankhar repeatedly warned Singh to go back to his seat. Following this, Leader of the House Piyush Goyal moved the motion to suspend Singh, and the House adopted it by voice vote.
He raised voice for truth: AAP
Meanwhile, AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said they don't regret Singh's suspension because he was raising his voice for the truth. Calling the development unfortunate, he said the party's legal team would look into the matter. Earlier in the day, Singh called PM Modi "shameless," saying that the husband of one of the aforementioned women—who were paraded naked in Manipur—fought in the Kargil War.
Dhankhar cautioned Singh last week too
Singh also protested last week when the Centre proposed a bill to replace its ordinance aimed at overriding the AAP-led Delhi government's control over bureaucrats. Dhankhar cautioned Singh, saying that he would be forced to name the AAP leader after repeatedly asking him and other AAP members to remain seated. Notably, the AAP has 10 Rajya Sabha members—three from Delhi and seven from Punjab.
