"Breach of privilege": Jagdeep Dhankhar asks probe against 12 opposition MPs

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar has asked a parliamentary committee to investigate the alleged breach of privilege by 12 opposition MPs from the Congress and the AAP for repeatedly entering the well of the House, shouting slogans, and obstructing its proceedings.

According to a Rajya Sabha bulletin, nine of the MPs are from the Congress and three from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The Congress MPs are Shaktisinh Gohil, Naranbhai J Rathwa, Syed Nasir Hussain, Kumar Ketkar, Imran Prattapgarhi, L Hanumanthaiah, Phulo Devi Netam, Jebi Mather Hisham, and Ranjeet Ranjan. The AAP members are Sanjay Singh, Sushil Kumar Gupta, and Sandeep Kumar Pathak.

In the bulletin dated February 18, the Rajya Sabha Secretariat said, "...the Chairman...has referred a question of the alleged breach of privilege arising out of gross disorderly conduct displayed by (the MPs)....in violation of rules and etiquette of Rajya Sabha by repeatedly entering the well of the council, shouting slogans and persistently and wilfully obstructing the proceedings of the council, compelling the Chair to repeatedly adjourn the sittings of the Council."

The Rajya Sabha saw repeated disruptions due to protests by the opposition MPs over various issues during the first leg of the Budget Session which concluded earlier this month.