Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi resigns as host of Sansad TV show after being suspended from RS

Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Sunday resigned as the anchor of the show Meri Kahani that is telecast on the government-run Sansad TV.

“I am unwilling to occupy space on Sansad TV for a show but denied space on it for discharging parliament duties due to arbitrary suspension,” she tweeted, along with her resignation letter. “Hence as much as I was committed to the show, I must step away.”

Chaturvedi is one of the 12 Rajya Sabha MPs who were suspended from the Upper House on November 29 from attending the rest of the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament.

The action was taken due to their “unruly and violent” conduct during the Monsoon Session in August.

Besides Chaturvedi, the other suspended MPs are Elamaram Kareem of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Congress’ Phulo Devi Netam, Chhaya Verma, R Bora, Rajamani Patel, Syed Nasir Hussain and Akhilesh Prasad Singh, Communist Party of India’s Binoy Viswam, Trinamool Congress’ Dola Sen and Shanta Chhetri, and Shiv Sena’s Anil Desai.

In her resignation letter addressed to Rajya Sabha’s Chairperson M Venkaiah Naidu, Chaturvedi said that the decision to suspend her was in disregard to parliamentary norms and rules.

The Shiv Sena MP said she was unwilling to continue appearing on Sansad TV when her primary oath to the Constitution had been denied to her.

“That this suspension also chose to disregard my parliamentary track record and my contribution beyond the call of duty so as to give a platform to women parliamentarians to share their journey [through the show], I believe injustice has been done as it is considered valid in the eyes of the chair, I must respect it,” the MP said.

She said that when the highest number of women parliamentarians had been suspended in the recorded history of the Rajya Sabha for speaking up for the country, she needed to stand in solidarity with them.

“Also, not to forget 12 MPs being suspended for an entire session for their conduct in the previous session has never happened in Parliament’s history,” the MP said.

She thanked Sansad TV as well as Naidu and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla for giving her the opportunity to be the host of the show.

As part of the show, Chaturvedi interviewed women parliamentarians. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor also hosts another Sansad TV show, named To The Point, in which he interviews eminent personalities.

Following her resignation, several leaders voiced support for Chaturvedi.

“Good on you, Priyanka,” tweeted Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien. “Now that leaves one MP from the Opposition as a host. I hope he too snubs this government who are mocking Parliament every day. And worse still, justifying the mocking.”

Congress’ Hibi Eden said that “unparliamentary practices cannot be condoned” and that the politicians needed to protest against “this assault on democracy”.

Why were the MPs suspended?

The Monsoon Session of Parliament, which ended two days before its schedule on August 11, saw several disruptions as the government and the Opposition had reached an impasse over discussion on allegations that the Pegasus spyware was used to monitor several politicians, journalists and activists in India.

The bedlam peaked in the Rajya Sabha on August 11 as Opposition MPs physically clashed with security personnel.

A joint statement by a group of MPs accused the government of bringing in “outsiders not part of Parliament security” in order to “manhandle Opposition leaders and members, including women parliamentarians”.

The government, on the other hand, blamed the Opposition for creating a ruckus.

After the session was adjourned sine die, a delegation of Union ministers reiterated their demand for action against the Opposition MPs. Naidu had reportedly then said he will examine the matter and then decide on an appropriate course of action.