Santanu Sen, the Trinamool Congress lawmaker in Rajya Sabha suspended for snatching minister’s papers while he read out a statement on the Pegasus spying row, is a doctor by training. The 48-year-old has ealier served as the national president of the Indian Medical Association.

The lawmaker studied Medicine and Radiology at R G Kar medical College, where he also later worked for some time.

In his early years in politics, he was a councillor in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee elected him to the Rajya Sabha in 2018. Sanatanu Sen made headlines on Thursday after snatching papers from IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw while he was reading a statement on the Pegasus spying controversy.

The incident took place on Thursday 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.

This was followed by Sen being suspended for the rest of the Monsoon session after a motion moved by the government was passed by the House.

The Trinamool members protested and raised objection to the manner in which the motion was brought without listing it in the day’s business. Party lawmaker Sukhendu Sekhar Ray raised the issue of Sen being threatened by a minister, but the chairman said it happened after the House was adjourned.

Soon after, he tweeted,”thanks to @narendramodi & @BJP4India Govt again for suspending me from #Parliament in the most unparliamentary way. But be sure that voice of protest @MamataOfficial ji & @AITCofficial can’t be stopped.#BharatiyaJasoosParty Minister @HardeepSPuri might be rewarded for hooliganism.”