
Wed Sep 10 07:52:10 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary of the provided text, followed by a news article rewrite:
**Summary:**
TMC MP Derek O’Brien has issued a public statement, presenting a series of eight suggestions to the newly elected Vice-President of India and Rajya Sabha Chairperson, C.P. Radhakrishnan. O’Brien’s suggestions focus on protecting the rights of the opposition, ensuring parliamentary accountability, and improving the quality of legislative scrutiny. He calls for fair treatment of notices from opposition parties, a halt to mass suspensions of MPs, increased referral of bills to parliamentary committees, unbiased coverage of parliamentary proceedings on Sansad TV, and the selection of experienced MPs for the panel of vice-chairpersons. He emphasizes the importance of allowing discussions on urgent matters, accepting points of order, and permitting divisions (votes) when requested. O’Brien contrasts past parliamentary practices with recent trends, highlighting a decline in the acceptance of opposition notices and the increased use of suspensions.
**News Article:**
**TMC MP Urges New Vice-President to Uphold Opposition Rights in Rajya Sabha**
**New Delhi, September 10, 2025** – Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Derek O’Brien has publicly called on the newly elected Vice-President of India and Rajya Sabha Chairperson, C.P. Radhakrishnan, to ensure the protection of opposition rights and enhance parliamentary scrutiny in the Upper House.
In a detailed blog post released Wednesday, O’Brien outlined eight specific suggestions for Radhakrishnan, who assumed office on Tuesday. These recommendations center on fostering a more inclusive and accountable parliamentary environment.
O’Brien urged Radhakrishnan to fairly consider notices submitted by opposition parties, emphasizing the declining number of admitted notices in recent years. He also criticized the unprecedented suspension of 146 MPs in December 2023, contrasting it with the suspension of just 50 MPs during the ten years of UPA I and UPA II.
“An important tool that enables MPs in the Opposition to hold the Union Government accountable is submitting notices seeking discussions on important issues,” O’Brien stated.
The TMC leader further called for increased referral of bills to parliamentary committees for thorough examination. Citing statistics from previous Lok Sabhas, he highlighted a significant drop in the number of bills subjected to committee scrutiny, warning that this trend undermines the quality of legislation.
O’Brien also raised concerns about the coverage of parliamentary proceedings on Sansad TV, alleging censorship of opposition protests. He urged Radhakrishnan to ensure unbiased reporting, showing views from both sides of the aisle.
Other suggestions included selecting experienced MPs for the panel of vice-chairpersons, accepting points of order, and allowing divisions (votes) when requested by MPs. O’Brien also suggested foregoing birthday greetings in the Rajya Sabha to save time.
Radhakrishnan’s election on Tuesday saw him secure 452 votes against opposition candidate B. Sudershan Reddy’s 300, amid reports of cross-voting. O’Brien’s statement sets the stage for a potentially more assertive opposition stance under the new Vice-President’s leadership.