India Rajya Sabha suspends 8 opposition MPs over chaos on farm bills

Eight opposition MPs have been suspended from India's Rajya Sabha over unprecedented chaos in the house during the discussion on passing of controversial farm bills, local media report.

Three farm bills, dubbed as the biggest reform in agriculture by the Indian government, were passed by Rajya Sabha with a voice vote on Sunday.

The members, including Trinamool Congress's Derek O'Brien, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)'s Sanjay Singh, Congress's Rajeev Satav and CPM's KK Ragesh, were told they had displayed ‘unruly behavior especially with the Chair and gross disorderly conduct’, reports NDTV.

But the refusal of the suspended members to leave the house caused multiple adjournments of the Rajya Sabha on Monday. The opposition said the members should have been given a chance to explain, but the Rajya Sabha said the decision was based on a government motion.

"I am pained at what happened on Sunday. It defies logic. It is a bad day for Rajya Sabha," NDTV quotes Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu as saying.

He said the members threw papers, wrenched mics away, "physically threatened" Deputy Chairman Harivansh Singh and even abused him.

"I am naming Derek O Brien. Please go out of the house," Naidu said, as he named the suspended members. But none of the members budged.