TMC MP Suspended for Rest of Monsoon Session for 'Snatching' Paper From IT Min

Santanu Sen purportedly snatched a paper from Ashwini Vaishnaw while he was speaking on the Pegasus row in the RS.

Trinamool Congress MP Santanu Sen was on Friday, 23 July, suspended from Rajya Sabha for the remaining part of the Monsoon Session of the Parliament. Image used for representation. 

(Photo Courtesy: Facebook/Dr Santanu Sen)

Trinamool Congress MP Santanu Sen was on Friday, 23 July, suspended from the Rajya Sabha for the remaining part of the Monsoon Session of the Parliament after a motion was passed in the House.

Chaotic scenes emerged in the Parliament on Thursday, 22 July, the third day of Parliament, as Sen purportedly snatched a paper from IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw while he was speaking on the Pegasus ‘snooping’ controversy in the Upper House.

On Friday, Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said that he was deeply distressed by the course of events in the House on Thursday.

"Unfortunately, proceedings of the House hit a new low with papers being snatched from the minister and torn into pieces. Such actions are a clear assault on our Parliamentary democracy," he said.

"Santanu Sen, please withdraw from the House. Allow the House to function," he added, before adjourning the House till 12 pm.

After the House resumed at 12 pm, Sen refused to leave despite repeated requests by Deputy Chairman Harivansh Singh.

"As you know that a resolution has been passed to suspend you from attending the proceedings till the end of the Monsoon Session, we request you to leave the House," he said, before he adjourned the House till 2.30 pm.

What Vaishnaw Said

Electronics and Information Technology Minister Vaishnaw slammed Sen for snatching papers from his hand on Thursday in the Rajya Sabha.

"The kind of culture of violence that TMC has in Bengal, it is bringing the same to the Parliament. What message do they want to give to the next generation of Parliamentarians?" he told ANI.

WHAT HAPPENED ON THURSDAY?

The proceedings in the Upper House were adjourned for the day as the protests by the Opposition went on.

A verbal feud took place between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and TMC MPs after the purported snatching incident and adjournment of the House, with marshals intervening to control the situation.

A meeting was later held including the IT minister, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi, Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal and others regarding the snatching incident.

Subsequently, sources told ANI that the Union government would request the Chair in the Rajya Sabha to suspend the TMC MP for misbehaving with Vaishnaw.

(With inputs from ANI)