Harivansh meets Opposition MPs who staged overnight sit-in protest at Parliament

New Delhi, Sep 22: Deputy chairperson of Rajya Sabha, Harivansh on Tuesday met the protesting MPs from the Opposition parties, who carried out an all night sit-in on the lawns of Parliament in protest against the passage of two of the contentious farm bills without a division of votes on Sunday in the Upper House.

Harivansh offered tea to the MPs, who moved a no-confidence motion against him a day earlier.

Speaking to a news agency, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh said that they are protesting to protect the rights of the farmers and against the way the "black laws" were passed in Parliament. He said this is not about a personal equation but an issue that concerns farmers.

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Singh, who is among the eight MPs suspended for the remainder of the session after ruckus in Rajya Sabha on Sunday, said the MPs are protesting against the way in which the demand for putting the bills to vote was not met and the rules and procedures were set aside to pass the bills.

Earlier, TMC's Derek O'Brien and Dola Sen, Sanjay Singh of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Congress leaders Rajeev Satav, Ripun Bora and Syed Nasir Hussain and KK Ragesh and Elamaram Kareem of the CPI(M) were holding placards and pamphlets which say 'we will fight for farmers'.

Some MPs of Opposition parties also held protest in front of Gandhi statue in Parliament premises against the suspension of the eight members.