Rose to occasion as Parliament was 'sacrileged': Dhankhar on suspension of MPs

New Delhi: Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar has justified the suspension of members from the Upper House by terming it "unavoidable" due to their "extreme degree of misconduct" and he had "risen to the occasion" when the temple of democracy was "sacrilege".

In a letter to NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Dhankhar also voiced his anguish over the "widespread perception of 'politicisation'" of the issue of a security breach in Parliament on December 13 instead of a display of "collective concern" on the incident.

"When the temple of democracy is sacrilege, surely, you'd agree as concerned senior Parliamentarian, that the Chairman has risen to the occasion (sic)," he said.

Pawar had written to the Rajya Sabha Chairman seeking his intervention on the issue of suspension of members from the House for displaying placards and raising slogans demanding Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement on the security breach in Parliament when two protesters jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber and set off smoke canisters.

"With utmost restraint and deference to you and other leaders, there is widespread perception of 'politicisation' of the issue, fully distanced from the need to reflect collective resolve to deal with collective concern," Dhankhar said in the letter to Pawar.

Pawar had written to the Rajya Sabha chairman on December 19 and the letter was replied to on the same day.

"Suspension of members was rendered unavoidable by their extreme degree of misconduct and continual defiance of direction of Chair," Dhankhar said.