The suspension of Congress MP Rajani Patil from Rajya Sabha is likely to be revoked next week, it is learnt. Patil was suspended from Rajya Sabha during the Budget Session for videographing the proceedings of the House, leading to its dissemination on social media platforms. Patil was initially suspended for the Budget Session. But on the last day of the session, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar extended the suspension, a move which was resented by the Opposition. “Taking note of the inputs from the Privileges Committee, I find it expedient, invoking Rule 266 read with Rule 256, that the February 10, 2023 suspension order of Rajani Ashokrao Patil may continue to be in force beyond the current session and till the House has the benefit of the recommendations by the Privileges Committee,” Dhankhar had said on the last day of the Budget Session. Patil has since tendered an apology. It is learnt that the Privileges Committee, which is looking into the issue, held a meeting at short notice on Saturday. Sources in the Opposition said the Government has informally agreed to revoke her suspension and she should be back in the House next week, possibly on Monday itself. The Rajya Sabha is set to discuss The National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill on Monday. The suspension of AAP MP Sanjay Singh, however, is unlikely to be revoked. Singh was suspended on July 24 for the rest of the session for “having repeatedly violated the directive of the Chair” while protesting in the House demanding a discussion on the Manipur situation. The possibility of Patil’s suspension being revoked opened up on a day the Congress approached the Lok Sabha Secretariat to seek senior party leader Rahul Gandhi's reinstatement as a Lok Sabha member, a day after the Supreme Court stayed his conviction in a defamation case.
