Farm Bills: Suspended Rajya Sabha MPs continue night-long sit-in protest, Deputy Chairman Harivansh offers tea

In an interesting development, Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh, who was allegedly heckled by the suspended MPs a day ago, brought tea for the protesters on Tuesday morning, earning praises from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Praising Harivansh, who is from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s ally Janata Dal (United), Modi tweeted, "To personally serve tea to those who attacked and insulted him a few days ago as well as those sitting on Dharna shows that Shri Harivansh Ji has been blessed with a humble mind and a big heart. It shows his greatness. I join the people of India in congratulating Harivansh Ji."

However, the suspended MPs, who are from various political parties including the main opposition outfit Congress, remained stubborn in their decision.

Reacting to Harivansh's tea offer, suspended Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh said, "We are here not for maintaining personal equations. We are here for farmers."

Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Derek O'Brien, who has also been suspended, accused the ruling dispensation of making a "Bihar election issue" in Parliament.

Apart from Singh and O'Brien, TMC's Dola Sen, Congress' Rajeev Satav, Syed Nasir Hussain and Ripun Borah and CPI-M's KK Ragesh and Elamaram Kareem have also been suspended.

O'Brien, the floor leader of TMC in Rajya Sabha, was seen tearing the bills in front of the chair on Sunday, amid the ruckus in the upper house.

The two farm bills, which will allow farmers to sell their produce to institutional buyers beyond the regulated wholesale market, was passed with voice votes on Sunday while the rival MPs claim the ruling dispensation did not have the required number in the Rajya Sabha. 

Several farmers and opposition leaders criticised the Centre's move stating small peasants will have little bargaining power while selling their produce to institutional buyers, running the risk of getting exploited.

Though Prime Minister Modi in his recent addresses said farmers won't be denied the MSP, Congress Rajya Sabha MP Ghulam Nabi Azad on Tuesday urged the government to pass another bill making it mandatory to give MSP to the farmers.

Immediately after his address, Azad and other Congress MPs boycotted the house till the suspension of the eight parliamentarians was not revoked.