NEW DELHI: Hours after suspending AAP MP Sanjay Singh from the Rajya Sabha for the remaining part of the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament, vice-president Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday said no country or system can flourish without discipline and decorum.
Interacting with the Indian Forest Service (IFS) probationers of the 2022-24 batch at Parliament House, Dhankhar said institutions suffer severely when discipline and decorum are compromised.
He said, “I appeal to you to have zero tolerance for lack of decorum and discipline. I am working to ensure that in the temple of democracy, we have decorum and discipline. Never hesitate to take action to maintain decorum as it is connected with our growth, reputation and prosperity.”
Earlier, Dhankhar suspended Singh for unruly behaviour and indiscipline when the Upper House was witnessing pandemonium over the opposition MPs demanding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should make a statement inside Parliament before a discussion starts on the ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur.
Singh entered the well of the House and shouted slogans while making his demand on behalf of his party.
The vice president took strong objection to Singh’s behaviour. Leader of the Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal too objected to the AAP MP’s demeanour and moved a motion for his suspension for the remaining part of the session.
Dhankhar sought a voice vote before suspending Singh, who is the leader of AAP in the Rajya Sabha.
Objecting to the suspension of his senior colleague, Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha demanded that the vice-president should revoke the suspension.
Chadha said, "It is very unfortunate that the Rajya Sabha chairman suspended Sanjay Singh. This is not right, it is against the spirit of democracy. After the House was adjourned, we went to the chairman and requested him to revoke this suspension. Even during the BAC (Business Advisory Committee) meeting, we all walked out as we were not being heard at all. The chairman should talk to the MPs and have healthy discussions."
He said, “We are in a situation today that MPs are being suspended and they are sitting inside the House to protest. Demanded revocation of suspension. We demanded a division of votes but the motion was moved by a voice vote.”
The Congress has also defended Singh and objected to his suspension.
Talking to media persons, the party’s Rajya Sabha MP Shaktisinh Gohil said Singh was not at fault and that he should not have been suspended.
