Parliament Diary

Rajya Sabha today continued
to see disruptions. Members of the opposition raised objections to the Minister
of External Affairs making a statement in the House without prior notice.  

In Lok Sabha, a motion was
passed to extend the date of submission for the Report on the Land, Acquisition
Bill to August 7, 2015. The Bill is currently being examined by a Parliamentary Joint Committee. 

With the opposition
continuing its protests, the Speaker after repeated warnings named 25 MPs under
Rule 374 (A).

As per this Rule, a Member
can be named and suspended for five consecutive sittings by the Speaker for
causing grave disorder by “coming into the well of the House or abusing the
Rules of the House persistently and wilfully obstructing its business by
shouting slogans”.

In the fifteenth Lok Sabha there
have been instances when the Speaker has suspended members of house.

During the second half of the
Winter Session on 13 February, 2014, 17 MPs were suspended by the Speaker under
the same rule.

On August 23, during the Monsoon
Session of 2013, 12 MPs were suspended by the Speaker in Lok Sabha for
disrupting the proceedings of the House. Of these, nine MPs were suspended
again on September 2. On each occasion the MPs were suspended for five sittings

The largest set of
suspensions occurred in the Lok Sabha in 1989. Following commotion over the
tabling of the Thakkar Commission report that looked into the assassination of
Indira Gandhi, 63 MPs were suspended for a week. Four more MPs joined them in
walking out of the house.

With
nine sittings of the
session over, Lok Sabha has functioned for 14% of its scheduled time
 and Rajya Sabha has functioned for 8%  of its scheduled time.