India / Have nothing against any MPs who were suspended: RS Chairman

New Delhi: The suspension of the eight members of Parliament had to be carried out due to their conduct, said Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venakaiah Naidu on Tuesday.

The eight MPs from the Upper House were suspended by Naidu on Monday over the ruckus created on Sunday while discussions were underway on the agriculture reform bills.

Leader of Congress in the Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad had raised the demand for the revocation of their suspension today.

"I am not happy about the suspension of the members. The action has been taken on their conduct. We have nothing against any member," Naidu said.

He also urged the Opposition leaders who had staged a walkout to "rethink, introspect, and return to the House to take part in discussions."

Naidu also highlighted that Deputy Chairman Harivansh had spoken to him over the issue and made him aware of the one-day fast he was going to keep in protest.

"Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha wrote to me expressing his commitment to democracy and how he was treated. He wrote to me that in order to arouse the conscious of people he wanted to observe one-day fast," Naidu said.

Meanwhile, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said that if the suspended MPs expressed regret the government was willing to hold discussions with them.

"Is it not painful what happened in the Upper House? Is it a way to behave? If they express their regret, the government is not bent upon running the business without them. We are ready to hold a discussion as we are on a strong footing," Joshi said.

Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said that the Opposition will boycott the monsoon session till the government brings another Bill which assures that the private players will not be able to purchase produce from the farmers below the MSP and also fulfill their other demands.

"Till our demands, which include revocation of suspension of the 8 MPs and the government to bring another Bill under which no private player can purchase below MSP are not met, the Opposition will boycott the session," Azad said.

The senior leader, however, agreed that the events in the Rajya Sabha on Sunday shouldn't have taken place but said that MPs were given very limited time to speak on the issue which was the root of discontentment among them.

The Rajya Sabha witnessed unruly scenes on Sunday as Opposition members stormed the well of the House and reached the Deputy Chairman's seat to protest against the Farmer's Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020. Later, eight MPs were suspended by the Rajya Sabha Chairman on Monday over the ruckus created in the Upper House.