India / RS Dy Chairman breaks 1-day fast against 'unruly behaviour' by MPs

New Delhi: Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh on Wednesday broke the one-day fast he had started on Tuesday to protest the unruly behaviour towards him by some Opposition members during the passage of agriculture Bills in the Upper House on September 20. He had announced his 24-hour fast in a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, speaking at length about his anguish over the ruckus in the House.

'Not eaten anything since Monday night'

Janata Dal (U) MP Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh offered juice to Harivansh to help him break the fast. "Harivansh Ji was on fast for 36 hours. He had not eaten anything since Monday night. He was following his duty as Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha. There is a fixed procedure of everything in democracy and everyone has the right to raise his/her concerns under rules. If the Opposition or anyone else thinks that they can do whatever they want to do, it is not possible. If that happens that it will be anarchy," Singh said.

Singh further said that the MPs who were suspended from the Rajya Sabha should think about the conduct of the Deputy Chairman, whose decision to go on a fast displayed sign of greatness. "In which rulebook is it written that you can threaten the Deputy Chairman and throw papers on him. The suspended MPs need to introspect about this. The gesture by the Deputy Chairman to visit and bring tea to the MPs while they were protesting, reflects his greatness," he added.

"The members of the Upper House indulged in violent activities in the name of democracy. They attempted to threaten the person on the Chair. Every rule, system of the Upper House was flouted. The members of the Parliament tore apart the rule book, threw it on me," Harivansh's letter read.

PM Modi heaps praises on Harivansh

His letter drew lavish praise from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The PM said his "inspiring" and "statesman-like" conduct will make every democracy-lover proud and his gesture to personally serve tea to those who "attacked and insulted" him showed he has been blessed with a humble mind and a big heart. It showed his greatness, the prime minister said, urging everybody to read his letter.

Venkaiah Naidu, who is also the Rajya Sabha Chairman on Monday rejected the no-confidence motion moved by the Opposition against Harivansh saying that it is "not admissible under the rules". On Monday, Naidu announced a one-week suspension of Trinamool Congress' (TMC) Derek O'Brien and Dola Sen, Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Sanjay Singh, Congress' Rajeev Satav, Ripun Bora and Syed Nasir Hussain, CPI (M)'s KK Ragesh and Elamaram Karim for "unruly behaviour" with the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman on Sunday during the passage of the Farm Bills.