Former Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan (File photo)

NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha has witnessed suspension of members for unruly behaviour on many past occasions.

Then Speaker Sumitra Mahajan had suspended 45 members on January 2, 2019 for the rest of the session after a ruckus. She first suspended 24 ADMK members, followed by another batch of 21, which included MPs from ADMK, TDP and an unattached YSRCP member.

While the ADMK members were protesting against a proposed dam over the Cauvery river, the Andhra MPs were demanding special status for their state.

On February 12, 2014, Meira Kumar had suspended 18 Andhra MPs for the rest of the Budget session after supporters and opponents of Telangana sprayed pepper in the House and indulged in fisticuffs.

In the 14th Lok Sabha , Somnath Chatterjee had stopped short of suspending Mamata Banerjee , then a TMC MP, in August 2005 when she threw a sheaf of papers at the Speaker’s chair, occupied by the then deputy speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal at that time. She then sent her resignation to the deputy Speaker and walked out.

Chatterjee turned down the resignation. He said he wanted Banerjee to return and act according to her conscience. He didn’t initiate action. Banerjee’s unruly act came after Atwal informed her that the Speaker had disallowed her notice to raise the subject of illegal Bangladeshi migration. Banerjee had earlier thrown her shawl at then Speaker Purno Sangma .

