Suspended MPs: Will withdraw protest depending upon what follows inside Rajya Sabha today

New Delhi [India], September 22 : The eight opposition Rajya Sabha members suspended for continuing with their protests against farm bills inside the Upper House and who stayed overnight on the Parliament lawns in a sit-in protest have said that they will withdraw protest depending upon the proceedings inside the House on Tuesday.
The suspended MPs had a visitor in Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh who arrived with morning tea for them on Tuesday morning but the opposition members refused the tea diplomacy.
While talking to ANI, they alleged that Harivansh violated rules and norms of parliament proceedings.
One of the eight suspended MPs, Ripun Bora of Congress said, "Harivansh Ji said he came to meet us as a colleague and not as Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha. He also brought some tea and snacks for us. We started this sit-in demonstration yesterday from 12 noon as a protest against our suspension."
"We have been here all night. Nobody from the government came to enquire about us. Oppositions MPs including former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda came here to show solidarity with us. We took this pain for the cause of farmers of our country. Yesterday Leader of Opposition (LoP) was not allowed to speak for us and so we are demanding that LoP should be be allowed to speak and demand the revocation of our suspension," he added.
CPM MP KK Ragesh said, "This is for the first time that MPs are protesting here all through the night. It is an extraordinary situation and we have protested extraordinary. Our constitution right is blatantly denied. A black law was passed by parliament. We will continue our protest and it depends upon the response from House."
Sanjay Singh of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleged that Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has forcefully passed the farm Bills.
"We are sitting here to raise farmers' voices. The parliament has passed a black law. The government in 2014 has promised to give over 50 per cent MSP over the expenditure bear by farmers in cultivating the crops. But in the court, it said it can not do that. They are cheating farmers. It is our moral responsibility to raise the concerns of the countrymen. Even being in minority in the Upper House, BJP has forcefully passed the law and we are protesting against that. The course of protest depends upon what will follow inside House today," he said.
Singh further alleged that Deputy Chairman violated the rules of parliamentary procedures.
"We are not sitting here to develop any personal relationship. Harivinsh ji did not hold voting and now he is coming here, it is of no use. Today when he came here, we told him that he had violated procedures of parliament proceedings," he said.
Congress' Rajeev Satav said, "We are struggling for farmers. They are bringing Bills against the farmers. The Deputy speaker violated rules. It is not a personal fight. We are fighting for farmers and we are against the government which is protecting corporates. We told the speaker that the house can not function like this."
The MPs were earlier suspended by Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu for "unruly behaviour" with Harivansh.
On Monday, Venkaiah Naidu announced the 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.
On Sunday Rajya Sabha witnessed unruly scenes as Opposition members stormed the well and reached the deputy chairman's seat to protest against the Farmer's Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 and the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 and passed by the Upper House through voice vote.
Both the Bills were earlier passed by Lok Sabha through voice votes.