Complaint against 5 BRS MPs forwarded to Privileges Committee by Rajya Sabha Chairman

A complaint against five BRS members, including the party’s floor leader K Keshava Rao, for “displaying placards” in the House at a meeting on September 18 has been forwarded to the privileges committee for investigation by Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar.

BJP leader Vivek Thakur filed the complaint against Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) members.

Thakur filed a notice in the Rajya Sabha against K Keshava Rao, Damodar Rao Divakonda, Ravichandra Vaddiraju, K R Suresh Reddy, and B Lingaiah Yadav in accordance with Rule 188 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business.

According to the complaint, on September 18, 2023, while the Rajya Sabha was in session, BRS members ‘contemptuously’ displayed placards there. This was a flagrant violation of the Upper House’s established rules of conduct, which led to unwarranted disruptions of the proceedings and diminished the dignity of the institution.

‘On consideration of the facts, the Chairman, Rajya Sabha has referred the matter under Rule 203 of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) to the Committee of Privileges for examination, investigation and report,’ an official communication from the Rajya Sabha secretariat said.

The Chairman has given the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth, and Sports, which is affiliated to the Department, more time to review and present its report on the ‘Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021.’

‘Chairman, Rajya Sabha, has granted an extension of time for a period of three months i.e. till 24th January, 2024 to the Department-related Parliamentary StandingCommittee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports for examination and presentation of report on The Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021,’ the order said.