Rajya Sabha chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar has referred the names of 12 Oppositions MPs to the Committee of Privileges to investigate the alleged breach of privilege arising out of their “gross disorderly conduct” during the Budget Session.
A breach of privilege refers to the violation of rights and immunities enjoyed by the legislators in Parliament.
The MPs are accused of violating the rules and etiquette of the Rajya Sabha by repeatedly entering the well of the House, shouting slogans and obstructing proceedings.
According to a Rajya Sabha bulletin issued on February 18, nine out of the 12 MPs are from the Congress and three are from the Aam Aadmi Party.
The Congress leaders named by Dhankhar are Shaktisinh Gohil, Naranbhai J Rathwa, Syed Nasir Hussain, Kumar Ketkar, Imran Prattapgarhi, L Hanumanthaiah, Phulo Devi Netam, Jebi Mather Hisham and Ranjeet Ranjan.
The MPs from the Aam Aadmi Party are Sanjay Singh, Sushil Kumar Gupta, and Sandeep Kumar Pathak.
The first leg of the Budget Session of Parliament, which ended on February 13, witnessed repeated adjournments and uproar with the Opposition parties demanding a joint parliamentary committee investigation into allegations of unfair business practices by the Adani Group.
The conglomerate led by tycoon Gautam Adani has lost about $120 billion in market value since a January 24 report by American investment firm Hindenburg Research alleged that it had engaged in stock manipulation and accounting fraud to pull off the “largest con in corporate history”.
Opposition leaders have accused the Modi government of favouring the conglomerate in business deals. But Union Home Minister Amit Shah has rejected the allegations, saying the Bhartiya Janata Party has “nothing to hide or be afraid of”.
The Parliament will now reconvene on March 13.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!