The eight Rajya Sabha MPs including Trinamool Congress’s Derek O’Brien, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s Sanjay singh, Congress’s Rajeev Satav and CPM’s KK Ragesh, who were suspended for alleged misconduct, are now sitting on dharna outside the Parliament near the Gandhi statue.

They were suspended for a week.

Chairman of the house M Venkaiah Naidu also rejected a no confidence motion deputy chairman Harivansh on the grounds that proper procedure was not followed, PTI reported.

Journalist Pallavi Ghosh tweeted a video of the MPs sitting on the dharna, and in the video O’Brien is seen saying. “Opposition parties are here. Samajwadi Party is here, DMK is here, CPM is here, CPI is here, Aam Aadmi Party is here. IUML is here, TRS is here. Trinamool is here…”

“Please understand we do not need to say anything. Humko or kuch nahi bolna hai (we don’t want to say anything)… humko yahan baithna hai Gandhi statue ke paas,” the TMC MP said.

Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury told ANI, “I condemn this kind of expulsion of the members of Rajya Sabha in such a brazen and undemocratic manner. We will protest to restore the status quo ante of our members in Rajya Sabha.”

 Earlier in the day, the suspended MPs refused to the leave the house, saying they were not even given a chance to explain themselves, because of which the house was adjourned multiple times.

The action against the MPs comes a day after a ruckus in the house against the passage of the  Farmer’s Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020.

The bills have faced criticism from opposition parties and even from within BJP’s allies. Harsimrat Kaur Badal, the food processing minister from the Shiromani Akali Dal party, resigned from the government over the bill.

Meanwhile, Naidu criticised the protests inside parliament and call it “unruly behaviour” and alleged that the MPs “threatened” Harivansh during Sunday’s session.

Naidu was quoted by NDTV as saying, “I am pained at what happened yesterday. It defies logic. It is a bad day for Rajya Sabha.”

The Parliamentary Affairs Ministers on Monday read out a motion seeking suspension of eight members for the remainder of the session. Naidu put the motion to vote and it was carried by voice vote.

However, opposition members protested against the decision, leading to adjournment of the proceedings for about 20 minutes.

Two key farm bills, dubbed as the biggest reform in agriculture by the government, were on Sunday passed by Rajya Sabha with voice vote amid unprecedented unruly scenes by protesting opposition members who were demanding that the proposed legislation be referred to a House panel for greater scrutiny.

(With PTI inputs)