“Rajya Sabha Chairman Revokes Suspension of 11 Members Prior to Budget Session”
Jagdeep Dhankhar, the Chairman of Rajya Sabha, has lifted the suspension of 11 members who were found guilty of breach of privilege by the House panel. Sources from the Vice President’s office revealed that the Chairman invoked his authority under Rules 202 and 266 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) to revoke their suspension. This decision allows the members to attend the Special Address by the President scheduled for January 31, 2024. The Committee of Privileges had found members, including Jebi Mather Hisham, Dr L Hanumanthaiah, Neeraj Dangi, Rajmani Patel, Kumar Ketkar, GC Chandrashekhar, Binoy Viswam, Sandosh Kumar P, M Mohamed Abdulla, Dr John Brittas, and AA Rahim, guilty of breach of privilege and contempt of the Council. The Committee recommended that the period of suspension already served be considered sufficient punishment for the transgression. Despite this, considering the significance of attending the President’s Special Address, the Committee presented the report to Chairman Rajya Sabha.