Acrimony continued between Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankar and Trinamool Congress leader Derek O’Brien after the latter was reprimanded for exhibiting ‘unparliamentary behaviour’ during Lok Sabha session on Tuesday, August 1.
As the Monsoon Session entered its 12th day, the TMC leader asked the chairman why the Leader of the Opposition, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, was not allowed to talk.
Quoting former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, O’Brien said, “Sir, while I am very keen to invoke former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on what he said, ‘I will not speak today till you allow the leader of the Opposition to speak.’ Why isn’t the leader of the Opposition speaking? I will not speak, let him speak first…”
However, before O’Brien could finish the sentence, a visibly irate chairman termed the TMC leader’s behaviour as ‘unparliamentary’.
“It is most unfortunate, unparliamentary, debasing, ignoble that you chose to raise a point of order and then deviated yourself. Nothing will go on record,” chairman Dhankar said.
He questioned O’Brien’s contribution to the House. “I deprecate it. It is unparliamentary. It is unbecoming of a member. We don’t expect the member to go to that extent. You do not make any substantive contribution to the House,” the chairman rebuked O’Brien.
‘This is not theatrics!’
Four days ago, the two leaders engaged in a war of words after the chairman accused the TMC MP of making ‘engaging in theatrics’ a habit.
When the chairman pointed to the precedent of very few Rule 267 notices being accepted, he was suddenly interrupted by Brian who said, “We are aware of this.”
Things escalated quickly from there as a fuming Dhankar asked O’Brien to take his seat.
As O’Brien continued to speak, Dhankar said, “Mr Derek O’Brien, it has become your habit to engage in theatrics. You rise every time, you think it is your prerogative. The minimum thing which you can exemplify is to show respect to the chair. If I am saying something, you rise and create theatrics.”
“Theatrics? I object to the word theatrics. I am only quoting the rules of the House. We want a serious discussion on Manipur under Rule 267, which is a key emergency provision, given the seriousness of the issue,” replied O’Brien.
To which the chairman said not to thump the table. “Don’t thump it. It is not theatrics. I will call the leaders. We can’t suffer this,” an angry chairman said.
