Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha faced the ire of Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday for making a hand gesture while raising a point of order during the uproar over the opposition’s demand to discuss the security breach in Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
The opposition MPs wanted the suspension of the scheduled business of the day to debate the “serious situation arising out of breach of security” in Parliament on December 13, when a group of farmers entered the premises and vandalized the vehicles of some MPs. However, Dhankhar did not approve the notices and proceeded with the Zero Hour1.
As the opposition members started protesting and shouting slogans, Chadha tried to catch the chairman’s attention by making a hand gesture.
Dhankhar took exception to this and said, “Mr Chadha, you don’t have to do like this (hand gesture) to raise a point of order…use your tongue…don’t do it.”
He further admonished the AAP MP and said, "If you want to say something, use your mouth. Do not gesture with your hands2. Now is the time for you to learn many things3. It seems you will also start dancing soon4. Sit quietly on your seat5. You have already been punished by this House.”
Chadha was suspended from the Rajya Sabha in August this year during the Monsoon session of Parliament for presenting “misleading” facts to the media6. The house ended his suspension on December 4 through a motion and was allowed to attend the proceedings7.
The opposition MPs also demanded that Union home minister Amit Shah should make a statement followed by a discussion on the security breach. The parliamentary proceedings were repeatedly disrupted8. The Rajya Sabha Chairman adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm following the opposition protests9. He also asked the Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, the Leader of the House Piyush Goyal, and other floor leaders to meet him in his chamber10.
After the house reconvened at 2pm after the morning adjournments, opposition members were up in arms again, demanding a discussion on the Wednesday security breach11. Dhankhar adjourned the house for the day as his repeated request for order in the house did not yield result. The house will now reconvene on December 18.
