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"Gone and Back in 35 Minutes": Derek O'Brien's flair for drama got him suspended from Rajya Sabha for some time, between comparing leaders to washing machines and defying the Speaker, O'Brien ensures the Parliament's spotlight remains firmly on him
Well, folks, our very own drama king, Derek O'Brien from Trinamool Congress (TMC), is back in the spotlight. And no, it's not for winning an Oscar, though he might just give Hollywood a run for its money with his performances. On Tuesday, during the Monsoon session of the Parliament, O'Brien managed to secure a ticket straight out of the Rajya Sabha. But how did we get here?
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Rewinding a bit, the Union Minister Piyush Goyal took the stage, claiming O’Brien had been "continuously disrupting the proceedings of the House." The words "disobeying the Chair" and "wilfully creating a disturbance" were thrown around. And here we thought the Rajya Sabha was a place of dignified discussions!
Derek's fiery side was on full display when he got up to discuss Manipur and, in the heat of the moment, pointed a very dramatic finger at Speaker Jagdeep Dhankhar. Of course, this led to the Speaker telling him to sit down. But did our beloved drama aficionado listen? Of course not. After some back and forth, the Speaker finally had enough and asked Derek to exit, stage left.
And this wasn't even his debut performance! Just a day before, on 7th August, Mr. O'Brien had managed to turn the entire Rajya Sabha into a theatre stage, getting a sharp rebuke from the Speaker. And what for, you ask? For comparing the Prime Minister and Home Minister to, wait for it, a "Washing Machine." One has to wonder, was he thinking of a spin cycle or a gentle wash?
The Speaker, with a hint of sarcasm (and probably trying hard not to burst out laughing), asked, "Are you trying to mock our constitutional roles by equating them with a household appliance?" O'Brien, seemingly having taken a vow to never let silence prevail, kept speaking even after his time was up, leading the Speaker to rise and declare, “Mr Derek O’Brien is named by me. This is the most mischievous conduct...no one expects this kind of performance from a member like you."
As the Speaker settled back into his chair, he couldn't help but take another dig, "Mr Derek O’Brien, your actions in the House are becoming quite the spectacle, and I'm guessing this is part of your grand plan? Hoping to become a star outside?"
Speaker Jagdeep Dhankhar, clearly not one to be overshadowed by O’Brien's theatrics, made it clear that he's taken O’Brien’s actions seriously. He commented on how his behavior was far from becoming of someone in his position, reminding O'Brien that he should be setting an example with his actions. But, who knows? Maybe Derek is just auditioning for a new role. Whatever the case, we're here with popcorn, eagerly waiting for the next episode of 'The Derek O’Brien Show'.
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The Rapid-Fire Suspension Saga of Derek O'Brien
Imagine getting a timeout and then being invited back into the game all within the span of a TV episode? Well, Derek O'Brien, the MP from Trinamool Congress, doesn't have to imagine. He lived it in the Rajya Sabha during a roller coaster of a Monsoon session.
Today's episode began with Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar announcing Mr. O'Brien's suspension from the entire Monsoon session. However, in a surprising twist worthy of a telenovela, less than an hour later, he was allowed back in. Dhankhar mentioned that he had deliberately refrained from getting the House's consensus on the motion to suspend the TMC MP. The logic? If the entire procedure had been followed, Derek couldn't have made his comeback on the same day.
Earlier during the session, the theatrics had started when O'Brien tried to raise a point of order. The Chairman, probably expecting a well-prepared argument, asked under which rule he wished to speak. The reply was 267 - the rule which the opposition has been wielding as a demand for a discussion on the Manipur issue since July 20, marking the beginning of the Monsoon session.
But it wasn't smooth sailing for O'Brien. Union Minister Piyush Goyal, playing his part in this drama, proposed a motion to suspend the TMC leader for the entirety of the Monsoon session. This prompted TMC MPs to protest, making the scene more chaotic.
At exactly 11:25 am, Dhankhar, probably feeling a mix of frustration and exasperation, said, "Leave the house immediately," to Mr. O'Brien. The house took a short break, probably to cool off the heated environment, resuming at noon.
Here's where it gets even juicier. Upon resumption, there was Mr. O'Brien, back in his spot. This prompted Congress MP Pramod Tiwari to question the sudden turn of events surrounding the suspension.
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Mr. Dhankhar, in his wisdom, stated that he had intentionally not taken the suspension to its full conclusion. Piyush Goyal chipped in, saying this wasn't the first episode of O'Brien's "theatrics", alluding to instances where O'Brien has allegedly been disruptive, causing a ruckus with loud proclamations and theatrical desk thumping.
O'Brien's 'greatest hits' in the house also included an episode on August 4, where a complaint against him was sent to the Privileges Committee. This complaint, put forward by BJP Rajya Sabha MPs Laxmikant Bajpayee and Surendra Singh Nagar, claimed that Mr. O'Brien shared snippets from his statements in the house on his Twitter, even though certain parts had been redacted by the Chairman. Quite the social media enthusiast, our Mr. O'Brien!
Earlier this week, the chairman accused the TMC MP of turning the house into a theater, seeking attention during a fervent debate on the Delhi services bill. Derek didn't take this lying down, and responded by saying he was merely following the House's rules and pushing for a serious discussion on Manipur.
Mr. Dhankhar, exasperated, stated, "Your behaviour was inexcusable and doesn't match the dignity of your position." He further emphasized that Mr. O'Brien deliberately disrupted the House's decorum.
Who needs TV dramas when we have such riveting episodes playing out in our very own Rajya Sabha? Stay tuned to find out what happens next in the Monsoon session!
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