New Delhi: The government will consider proposing revocation of the suspension of eight Rajya Sabha members after they apologise. The suspended eight rajya Sabha members must accept their behaviour in the Upper House was not correct. This was said by Union Minister and BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad here Tuesday.
Prasad’s statement came after a number of opposition parties, led by the Congress, walked out of Rajya Sabha. They were demanding the suspension be revoked.
“Let them apologise, we will consider withdrawing it (suspension),” Prasad told reporters. He slammed the opposition parties for their conduct.
Union Minister Thawarchand Gehlot, the leader of the Upper House, criticised opposition parties for blaming the Rajya Sabha deputy chairperson for the incident. He said the opposition members were suspended in line with the rules.
“If they apologise, the government will request the Chair to consider revoking their suspension”, Gehlot said. He also stated that in his long spell in Parliament and state legislature, he had never seen such unruly behaviour.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi refuted suggestions that the government lacked numbers in Rajya Sabha, September 20, when the two farm bills were passed amid a din. He asserted that the ruling NDA had 109 members in the House against the Congress-led UPA’s 68 with others being 16.
“Opposition’s claim that the government had no numbers on September 22 in RS stands hollow and exposed. Despite having the number, the government was willing for division of votes. It was Opposition that created the ruckus. On that day, 29 members of UPA and two from other parties were absent. This is based on the details of attendance record in RS,” Joshi said in a tweet later.