New Delhi: The All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Monday came down heavily on the central governemnt after Aam Aadmi Party's Sanjay Singh was suspended by Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar for the remainder of the monsoon session of the Parliament.
Questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "ineptitude" and "negligence" in handling the Manipur crisis, the party asked, "How many voices will you silence?"
"We ask, how many voices will you SILENCE? How many MPs will you unjustly SUSPEND? The truth is crystal clear, and PM Modi’s ineptitude and negligence are glaringly evident to everyone!" the party tweeted.
The TMC claimed that the AAP MP was suspended for asking Prime Minister Modi to speak on Manipur in the Parliament.
"@AamAadmiParty MP @SanjayAzadSln suspended by the Chairman of Rajya Sabha, for the entire monsoon session just for asking PM @narendramodi to speak on Manipur in the Parliament!" the TMC said.
The party said that the decision to suspend Sanjay Singh "subverts the very essence of democracy".
"The decision blatantly subverts the very essence of democracy, laying bare the fact that the @BJP4India-led Central Government is shamelessly employing every conceivable tactic to avoid any meaningful discussion on the Manipur issue."
Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday suspended AAP MP Sanjay Singh for “repeatedly violating” the Chair’s directives.
The Chairman first named Sanjay Singh for interrupting the proceedings of the House when it had taken up the Question Hour amid protests by the Opposition over its demand for a statement from Prime Minister on the Manipur violence and a detailed discussion on the issue.
Earlier on Monday, Sanjay Singh came near the Chairman’s podium over opposition demands after the House resumed proceedings at 12 noon following its first adjournment earlier in the day. Dhankhar told him to resume his seat.
As the AAP member kept protesting, the Chairman named him. Soon after the Chairman named Sanjay Singh, Leader of the House Piyush Goyal moved a motion urging the Chair to suspend the AAP member, saying this kind of behaviour “is completely against the ethics and rules of the House.”
“Sanjay Singh should be suspended from the entire session of the House,” he said. The Chairman put the motion for approval of the House and said Sanjay Singh was being suspended for the remainder of the monsoon session of Parliament "for having repeatedly violated the directives of the Chair". The Chairman then adjourned the House till 2 pm.