Parliament Update: Speaker suspended 7 Congress MPs for the whole session Shubham Mishra & Shikhar Verma Legal Article Sat, Mar 07, 2020, at ,01:28 PM Background Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla recently took an appalling step to teach the lesson of decorum to the members in the parliament by suspending seven MPs of Congress party from the session till 3rd April. The motion has been passed in a voice note to the seven members - TN Prathapan (Thrissur), Gaurav Gogoi (Kaliabor), Dean Kuriakose (Idukki), Rajmohan Unnithan ( Kasaragod), Manickan Tagore, (Virudhunagar), Benny Behanam (Chalakudy) & Gurjeet Singh Aujla (Amritsar) for their gross misconduct by snatching the papers from Speaker's table & throwing back on him. From where the speaker draws its the power of suspension? To deal with uncooperative & chaotic members, the Speaker is empowered by Rule number 373, 374 & 374A in chapter XXVII of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business. Let's have a brief look at the powers of the speaker. Rule no. 373: "The Speaker, if is of the opinion that the conduct of any Member is grossly disorderly, may direct such Member to withdraw immediately from the House, and any Member so ordered to withdraw shall do so forthwith and shall remain absent during the remainder of the day’s sitting.” Rule no. 374: “(1) The Speaker may, if deems it necessary, name a Member who disregards the authority of the Chair or abuses the rules of the House by persistently and wilfully obstructing the business thereof. “(2) If a Member is so named by the Speaker, the Speaker shall, on a motion being made forthwith put the question that the Member (naming such Member) be suspended from the service of the House for a period not exceeding the remainder of the session: Provided that the House may, at any time, on a motion being made, resolve that such suspension be terminated. “(3) A member suspended under this rule shall forthwith withdraw from the precincts of the House.” The newly added amendment 374A empowers that “(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in rules 373 and 374, in the event of grave disorder occasioned by a Member coming into the well of the House or abusing the Rules of the House persistently and wilfully obstructing its business by shouting slogans or otherwise, such Member shall, on being named by the Speaker, stand automatically suspended from the service of the House for five consecutive sittings or the remainder of the session, whichever is less: Provided that the House may, at any time, on a motion being made, resolve that such suspension be terminated. “(2) On the Speaker announcing the suspension under this rule, the Member shall forthwith withdraw from the precincts of the House.” The common aim of these rules is to ensure order so that the house can function smoothly. Speaker's supreme authority is essential to ensure smooth proceedings of the house, but it must be considered that Speaker is to run the house smoothly not to dictate over it. Congress's leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury remarked it as a "government decision" and not one taken by the Speaker,, also termed it a dictatorial decision. Can the suspension order be revocated? It is merely believed that the order of the speaker is considered as an unalterable decision, but sometimes this order can be revoked unless- The unanimous motion is passed by the majority of the house in favour of the suspended member. This can be done if the suspended member commits no gross misconduct in the future. The ruling party of the day invariably insists on the maintenance of discipline, just as the Opposition insists on its right to protest. And their positions change when their roles flip.