PTIEight suspended Rajya Sabha MPs sat on an overnight sit-in protest at the Parliament premises, and early on Tuesday morning refused tea served to them by Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh.
Harivansh met the protesting parliamentarians who had spent the night on the lawns near the Gandhi statue in the premises, but his offer was rebuffed by them saying this was not about personal relations.
" We have spent the night on the lawns protesting the black law against the crores of farmers of this country. We told the deputy chairman that he got the Bill passed without adequate numbers by resorting to a voice vote," suspended AAP MP Sanjay Singh told reporters.
Trinamool Congress' (TMC) Derek O'Brien and Dola Sen, Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Sanjay Singh, Congress' Rajeev Satav, Ripun Bora and Syed Nasir Hussain, CPI (M)'s KK Ragesh and Elamaram Karim were the MPs suspended for a week by Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu for "unruly behaviour" in the House.
Many senior Opposition leaders - including NC leader Faroukh Abdullah, JD(S)' Deve Gowda, Samajwadi Party's Jaya Bachchan, Congress' Ahmed Patel and NCP's Praful Patel- turned up at the site of the protest during the night and sat with the protesting parliamentarians for a few hours
The protesters sang patriotic songs and put up placards hanging on strings with slogans in support of farmers, PTI reported.
"This is the first time ever that a peaceful overnight protest in front of Gandhi statue in Parliament has happened," protesting TMC MP Dola Sen said.
One of the main concerns for the MPs was the health of two senior leaders who are diabetic - Congress' Ripun Boren and CPIM's Elamaram Kareem. who are both over 65 years of age. Others brought refreshments from the homes of Opposition MPs at regular intervals to ensure that their sugar levels don't drop.
"It's a wonderful team effort, and we are not going to stop," a senior leader said. An ambulance is also on standby for emergency use in case any of the protestors fall ill.
The protesting MPs carried not just their beddings with pillows and blankets but mosquito repellents as well to shield themselves from the vectors. "Old timers said this is the first time in the history of Parliament that an overnight protest has been held on its premises
Four of the eight suspended Upper House members - O'Brien, Satav, Kareem and Ragesh - had moved resolutions opposing some key bills that appear in the Rajya Sabha List of Business announced for Tuesday. Since they are suspended, their names don't figure in the List.
( With inputs from PTI)
Harivansh met the protesting parliamentarians who had spent the night on the lawns near the Gandhi statue in the premises, but his offer was rebuffed by them saying this was not about personal relations.
" We have spent the night on the lawns protesting the black law against the crores of farmers of this country. We told the deputy chairman that he got the Bill passed without adequate numbers by resorting to a voice vote," suspended AAP MP Sanjay Singh told reporters.
Trinamool Congress' (TMC) Derek O'Brien and Dola Sen, Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Sanjay Singh, Congress' Rajeev Satav, Ripun Bora and Syed Nasir Hussain, CPI (M)'s KK Ragesh and Elamaram Karim were the MPs suspended for a week by Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu for "unruly behaviour" in the House.
Many senior Opposition leaders - including NC leader Faroukh Abdullah, JD(S)' Deve Gowda, Samajwadi Party's Jaya Bachchan, Congress' Ahmed Patel and NCP's Praful Patel- turned up at the site of the protest during the night and sat with the protesting parliamentarians for a few hours
The protesters sang patriotic songs and put up placards hanging on strings with slogans in support of farmers, PTI reported.
"This is the first time ever that a peaceful overnight protest in front of Gandhi statue in Parliament has happened," protesting TMC MP Dola Sen said.
One of the main concerns for the MPs was the health of two senior leaders who are diabetic - Congress' Ripun Boren and CPIM's Elamaram Kareem. who are both over 65 years of age. Others brought refreshments from the homes of Opposition MPs at regular intervals to ensure that their sugar levels don't drop.
"It's a wonderful team effort, and we are not going to stop," a senior leader said. An ambulance is also on standby for emergency use in case any of the protestors fall ill.
The protesting MPs carried not just their beddings with pillows and blankets but mosquito repellents as well to shield themselves from the vectors. "Old timers said this is the first time in the history of Parliament that an overnight protest has been held on its premises
Four of the eight suspended Upper House members - O'Brien, Satav, Kareem and Ragesh - had moved resolutions opposing some key bills that appear in the Rajya Sabha List of Business announced for Tuesday. Since they are suspended, their names don't figure in the List.
( With inputs from PTI)