PM Modi Hails Bihar And Bihari Pride As Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Serves Tea To Protesting Suspended MPs

Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, who is a Member of Parliament from Bihar, brought and served tea for the suspended Members of Parliament earlier this morning.

The eight members, who were protesting in a sit-in before the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, were suspended for unruly behaviour last week over the agriculture reform bills. The eight MPs are Derek O'Brien, Sanjay Singh, Dola Sen, Rajeev Satav, KK Ragesh, Syed Nassir Hussain, Ripun Bora and Elamaram Kareem.

Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu said Deputy Chairman Harivansh was "physically threatened by opposition MPs on Sunday" during the ongoing Monsoon Session of the Parliament.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was quick to respond to the humble gesture from Harivansh.

PM Modi congratulated Harivansh on the generous gesture.
Noteworthy, however, are these lines in his post, where he highlighted the attitude of the suspended MPs: "हर किसी ने देखा कि दो दिन पहले लोकतंत्र के मंदिर में उनको किस प्रकार अपमानित किया गया, उन पर हमला किया गया और फिर वही लोग उनके खिलाफ धरने पर भी बैठ गए।"

In addition to this, PM Modi highlighted the values inherent in Bihar and the people of Bihar.

The eight MPs are protesting against their suspension from the Upper House.

Alongside the humble gesture of reaching out to the MPs with tea, Harivansh said in a touching letter that he has been deeply pained by the events that unfolded in the Rajya Sabha, which have gone against the dignity of the Upper House of the Parliament.

He quoted lines from Rashtrakavi Ramdhari Singh Dinkar's celebrated poem -- "Vaishali".

In the letter, Harivansh has also described the events and acts of unruly behaviour and "nitaant aakraamak vyavhaar" (absolutely aggressive behaviour) that unfolded before him on the chair and on his table.

Harivansh has said in the letter that he will observe a one day fast -- in an expression of his emotion and tribute to Rashtrakavi Ramdhari Singh Dinkar.

He said that his fast will fall on the birth anniversary of the great poet, Rashtrakavi Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, who was a Member of Parliament himself. Dinkar's birth anniversary falls on 23 September.

The opposition has demanded revocation of suspended MPs. Opposition leaders staged a walk out from Rajya Sabha and protested before the Gandhi statue.

Harivansh added in his letter that he is from the village of JP (how Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan is fondly known) and has been inspired by the great leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, JP, Ram Manohar Lohia and Karpoori Thakur.

Harivansh's expression of the deep hurt and pain, first over the unprecedented events, the aggressive and violent actions from the suspended MPs, and PM Modi's support for his gesture, perhaps, will be noticed by the people of Bihar.

That the suspended MP's have refused the tea, which is associated with PM Modi, from a Bihari Harivansh, could possibly stand out in visual memory.