Stalemate to end in Rajya Sabha as Oppn parties plan to participate: Report

The stalemate in the Rajya Sabha is likely to end as the opposition parties plan to take part in House proceedings today, sources said.

Leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge has called the meeting of like-minded opposition parties at 10 am in his office to chalk out the strategy for the floor of the house.

Opposition is demanding that the suspension of 12 opposition MPs should be revoked, terming the decision of the chair as "illegal". Kharge has also written a letter to the Rajya Sabha chairman giving his views and mentioning provisions of the Constitution in this regard.

In his letter, Kharge has requested him to reconsider the matter of suspension of 12 MPs "in the larger interest of Parliamentary democracy" and revoke the suspensions.

"The Monsoon Session of the House concluded on August 11 and was prorogued by the President on August 31. If the House had only been adjourned and then reconvened without any prorogation, the argument of continuity would merit any justification."

While on the other hand, 12 suspended MPs of Rajya Sabha will be sitting on dharna in front of the Gandhi statue inside the Parliament premises.

According to sources, opposition parties will take part in the proceedings of the House and will raise the demand regarding the suspension of MPs, as the opposition feels that House is functioning and is giving an easier path to the government while opposition parties are boycotting the proceedings of the house. But the final decision will be taken after the meeting of opposition floor leaders.

On Monday, 12 members were suspended for alleged unruly conduct towards the end of the monsoon session in August when marshals were called after Opposition members stormed the well of the House during the passage of the General Insurance Business (Nationalisation) Amendment Bill, 2021.

The suspended members comprise six from the Congress, two each from Trinamool Congress and Shiv Sena, and one each from CPI and CPM: Phulo Devi Netam, Chhaya Verma, Ripun Bora, Rajamani Patel, Syed Nasir Hussain and Akhilesh Prasad Singh of Congress; Dola Sen, Shanta Chhetri of Trinamool Congress; Priyanka Chaturvedi, Anil Desai of Shiv Sena; Elamaram Kareem of CPM; and, Binoy Viswam of CPI.