New Delhi

Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien was suspended from the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday for the remainder of the winter session of Parliament for throwing rule book on the reporters' table during a discussion on the Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021.

Biju Janata Dal leader Sasmit Patra, who was Presiding the Chair, made the announcement to suspend O’Brien followed by a motion moved by Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs V Murleedharan in the Upper House. O’Brien threw the Rajya Sabha rule book on the reporters' table as the Chair rejected his point of order saying the matter had been explained. The treasury benches then raised the issue to suspend him.

The TMC leader then staged a walkout from the House following other members of Opposition parties that included Congress, DMK, TMC, AAP, Shiv Sena, Left, RJD, Samajwadi Party and BSP.

The Opposition parties staged a walkout from the Rajya Sabha accusing the Chair of not allowing division sought by them over the Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021.

The Opposition members strongly opposed the Bill and asked the government to take it back and finally staged a walkout from the House when the Deputy Chairman did now allow their demand citing "the members are in the Well and division cannot be given in this situation as per rule".

The Opposition was seeking division on the Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 that aims to give effect to the long-pending electoral reforms including linking Aadhaar with the voter ID card.
As the Opposition did not get division, all of their members staged walkout from the House.

O’Brien remained defiant and tweeted, “The last time I got suspended from RS was when govt. was BULLDOZING #FarmLaws. We all know what happened after that. Today, suspended while protesting against BJP making a mockery of #Parliament and BULLDOZING #ElectionLawsBill2021. Hope this Bill too will be repealed soon.”

O'Brien's suspension took the total number of suspended MPs in the Upper House to 13.

Earlier, the House had suspended 12 MPs from the House on the first day of the Winter Session on November 29 from the entire proceedings.

The 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.