How MPs are Suspended?

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Why in the News?
• Under What Rules MPs can be Suspended from Lok Sabha?
• Under What Rules MPs can be Suspended from Rajya Sabha?
• News Summary

Why in News?

• In a major escalation of tensions between the Opposition and the government, 78 Members of Parliament were suspended from both Houses of Parliament.

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Under What Rules MPs can be Suspended from Lok Sabha?

• The general principle is that it is the role and duty of the Presiding Officer — Speaker of Lok Sabha and Chairman of Rajya Sabha — to maintain order so that the House can function smoothly.
• In order to ensure that proceedings are conducted in the proper manner, the Speaker/ Chairman is empowered to force a ember to withdraw from the House.
• Rule Number 373 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business says –
  • The Speaker, if he is of the opinion that the conduct of any Member is grossly disorderly, may direct such Member to withdraw immediately from the House.
  • Any Member so ordered to withdraw shall do so forthwith and shall remain absent during the remainder of the day’s sitting.
• Rule Number 374 says –
  • The Speaker may, if deems it necessary, name a Member who disregards the authority of the Chair or abuses the rules of the House by persistently and wilfully obstructing the business thereof.
  • If a Member is so named by the Speaker, the Speaker shall, on a motion being made forthwith put the question that the Member (naming such Member) be suspended from the service of the House for a period not exceeding the remainder of the session.
  • A member suspended under this rule shall forthwith withdraw from the precincts of the House.

Under What Rules MPs can be Suspended from Rajya Sabha?

• In the Rajya Sabha, the suspension of a member is governed by Rule 256.
• Unlike the Lok Sabha, the Rajya Sabha Chairperson does not have the power to suspend a member.
• The Rajya Sabha Chair can only suspend a member through a motion.
• The Chair names a member, following which the House takes up a motion to suspend that member for a period not more than the remaining of the session, according to Rule 256(2).
• While the Chair cannot suspend a member by themselves, the Chair can ask the member to leave the House.
• Rule 255 dictates –
  • The Chairman may direct any member whose conduct is in his opinion grossly disorderly to withdraw immediately from the Council.
  • Any member so ordered to withdraw shall do so forthwith and shall absent himself during the remainder of the day’s meeting.

News Summary

• In a major escalation of tensions between the Opposition and the government, 78 Members of Parliament were suspended from both Houses of Parliament.
• This has taken the total number of suspended MPs in this session to 92, both figures unprecedented in the history of the Indian Parliament. Opposition leaders termed it a “murder of democracy.”
• Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi read out a resolution to suspend the 33 MPs, which was passed by a voice vote.
• While 30 MPs in the Lok Sabha were suspended for the duration of the Winter Session, three opposition members faced suspension pending the report of the Privileges Committee, as they had climbed on the Speaker’s podium to raise slogans.
• Both in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, the protesting Opposition MPs were demanding a statement from Home Minister on last week’s security breach in the Lok Sabha, which led to the arrest of six people.

Q1) What do you mean by privilege motion in Parliament?

The privilege motion is moved by a member when he feels that a minister or any member has committed a breach of privilege of the House or one or more of its members by withholding facts of a case or by giving wrong or distorted facts.

Q2) What does adjournment mean in the parliamentary system?

An adjourned meeting is a term used in parliamentary procedure to mean a meeting that is continued from the previous meeting. The motion to fix the time to which to adjourn sets up an adjourned meeting, which is part of the same session (series of related meetings).

Source: Record 78 MPs suspended in a single day; Opposition terms it ‘murder of democracy’ by ‘autocratic Modi government’ | Explained: Under what rules can MPs be suspended from Parliament?