LS withdraws suspension of DMK's Parthiban after govt letter

The Lok Sabha has withdrawn the suspension of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MP SR Parthiban after the government told Speaker Om Birla that it was a case of mistaken identity as the member was not present in the House when others disrupted its proceedings.

Now, the total number of MPs suspended for the remainder of the Winter Session of Parliament stands at 14 -- 13 from the Lok Sabha and one from the Rajya Sabha.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said Parthiban's name was withdrawn from the list of the Lok Sabha members suspended earlier in the day as there was a mistake on the part of the staff in identifying the member.

"I have requested the speaker to drop the name of the member as it was a case of mistaken identity," Joshi said.

The speaker has agreed to the suggestion, he added.

A circular issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat later listed the 13 MPs who have been suspended. Parthiban's name was not in the list.

"Hibi Eden, TN Prathapan, Ramya Haridas, Dean Kuriakose, S Jothimani, VK Sreekandan, Benny Behanan, Mohd Jawed, PR Natarajan, Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, K Subbarayan, S Venkatesan and Manickam Tagore B, MPs have been suspended from the service of the House...," the circular read.

Joshi said when the business of the House shifted to the new Parliament building, the speaker had proposed at a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee that the members have to work with a fresh resolve of not showing placards in the House.

"This proposal was unanimously agreed to. Nobody had opposed it," he added.

The 13 MPs violated the decision taken at the BAC meeting and brought placards to the House and hence, were suspended, the minister added.

Earlier, the Lok Sabha MPs were suspended after the House adopted two separate motions brought by the government.

Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien was suspended from the Rajya Sabha.