Kharge writes to Dhankhar urging for revoking suspension of Derek

New Delhi : Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday wrote to Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar urging him to revoke the suspension of the Trinamool leader Derek O'Brien.

Kharge said that O'Brien was only raising the legitimate demand of INDIA bloc parties for a statement by Home Minister Amit Shah on the Parliament security breach.

In his letter to the Chairman, Kharge said: "I am writing to request you to kindly revoke the suspension of O'Brien." He said that the Trinamool Congress leader was suspended on December 14.

"All he was trying to do was to attract your attention so as to raise the collective demand of INDIA parties for a statement by the Minister of Home Affairs on the shocking incident that took place in Lok Sabha on December 13. These are perfectly legitimate demands," Kharge said.

He said that it is a breach of "Parliamentary traditions and conventions" that the Minister of Home Affairs can speak about the events of December 13 at a media function but refuses to say anything about it form of a statement in Parliament when the Parliament itself is in session.

O'Brien was suspended for the remainder of the Winter Session on December 14. Since December 14, the Trinamool Congress leader has been holding a silent protest in Parliament premises against his suspension.