TMC’s Santanu Sen suspended from House, after Pegasus paper snatching row

Trinamool Congress MP Santanu Sen was suspended from Rajya Sabha for the remaining part of the monsoon session after a motion was passed in House.

Soon after the obituary references and laying of papers, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs V Muraleedharan moved a motion for Sen’s suspension after the Trinamool Congress (TMC) member snatched papers from Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and tore those in the House on Thursday.

“Santanu Sen, please withdraw from House. Allow the House to function,” said Raj Sabha Chairman. He also adjourned the house till 12 pm following an uproar that started during TMC MP Derek O’Brien‘s statement over yesterday’s incident.

The action comes a day after the upper house of the parliament  witnessed some heated moments on Thursday when Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Shantanu Sen snatched and tore the papers IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was reading from while making a statement on Pegasus spying row. The Rajya Sabha was later adjourned till Friday. 

The incident took place as Vaishnaw rose to give a statement on the Pegasus snooping controversy. Sen snatched the statement paper and threw it towards the Deputy Chairman. Vaishnaw, was forced to cut short his statement. 

Soon after the suspension order, TMC members protested and raised objections to the manner in which the motion was brought without listing it in the day’s business.

TMC MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray raised the issue of Sen being threatened by a minister, but the chairman said it happened after the House was adjourned.