Was seeking govt response on Gujarat hooch tragedy but got suspended: AAP MP Sanjay Singh

The AAP will continue to raise the "fundamental issues" of the masses, including spurious liquor sale in Gujarat, both in Parliament and on the streets, said party MP Sanjay Singh after his suspension from the Rajya Sabha.

The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday adopted a motion to suspend the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) member for the remaining part of the week for his "unruly behaviour" in the House. This came a day after he tore some papers and threw them on the Chair during the Opposition's protest in the Upper House.

The AAP has 10 members in the Rajya Sabha.

Singh's suspension comes a day after 19 Opposition MPs, including seven from the Trinamool Congress, six from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), three from the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, two from the Communist Party of India (Marxist), and one from the Communist Party of India were suspended for their unruly behaviour in the Upper House.

Singh said he had raised in the Rajya Sabha the Gujarat hooch tragedy and was "repeatedly requesting the Chair and the government" for an answer on how spurious liquor is being sold in a state where prohibition is in place but was suspended.

The death toll due to the consumption of spurious liquor in Gujarat's Botad district has reached 40.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, both of whom are from Gujarat, could have come and told the House "how spurious liquor trade is going on in Gujarat."

"I had raised the issue yesterday also. Today, I gave notice under Rule 267 and was repeatedly requesting the Chair and the government for an answer... But the government did not give any answer. I was suspended," Singh added.

The AAP member had torn some papers and hurled the pieces towards the Chair during the opposition protest in Upper House on Tuesday.

Soon after the House met for Question Hour on Wednesday noon, Deputy Chairman Harivansh invoked Rule 256 and named Singh for tearing papers and throwing them at the Chair on Tuesday. The deputy chairman said Singh's action was in utter disregard of rules and the authority of the Chair.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs V Muraleedharan moved a motion to suspend Singh from the House for the remainder of the week. The motion was adopted by voice vote, even as opposition members continued to raise uproar in the well of the House.

The deputy chairman asked Singh to leave the House soon after the motion was adopted.

"I will keep raising the issue of the death of 55 people due to consumption of spurious liquor in Gujarat. This is Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party and we all will together keep raising the fundamental issues of masses both in Parliament and on the streets," the AAP's Rajya Sabha member said after his suspension.