TMC MP Derek O'Brien suspended from Parliament for rest of Winter Session

He will have to spend one day out of the Rajya Sabha as the session ends Wednesday.

The opposition was protesting against the Election Laws (Amendment) Bill 2021, which has been passed in both houses amid fierce protests.

Quoting from the rule book, Derek O'Brien argued that the bill was being rammed through the Rajya Sabha without enough notice to members.

The Centre on Monday introduced the Election Laws (Amendment Bill) 2021 to link voter identity and Aadhaar cards amid objections by the opposition parties over the move.

"(Derek O'Brien) flung the rule book furiously in the direction of the Chair. The rule book would have hit the Chair, or Secretary General, or officials sitting at the table," said Sasmit Patra, who was presiding over the Upper House at the time.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal, who is the leader of the Rajya Sabha, said: "The way TMC leader Derek O'Brien has thrown the rule book, this is not only the insult of the chair or the secretary general or the table or the House, it is an insult to the entire country."

O'Brien, reacting to the allegation, snapped saying: "Oh! Really? Who said I threw the rule book? Show me the footage." He went on to demonstrate, with a bottle, what the act of "throwing" is.

Later in a series of tweets, he hit out at the Centre, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

"The last time I got suspended from RS was when the government was BULLDOZING farm laws. We all know what happened after that. Today, suspended while protesting against BJP making a mockery of parliament and BULLDOZING the Election Laws Bill 2021. Hope this Bill too will be repealed soon," O'Brien tweeted.

"After breaking every rule and precedent, BJP has the gall to give lectures about the Rule Book. Irony just died. (Only two people at the funeral) Guess who," he wrote in another tweet.

The TMC leader also shared a video of his speech.

"Has it been available for two days before the day the motion is made? If a bill is passed in the Lok Sabha at 3 pm, where is the time provided? This bill cannot be listed today. But anything can be done...you can also manufacture a majority," O'Brien has lashed out.