NEW DELHI: The opposition INDIA bloc will hold a nationwide protest on December 22 against the suspension of 141 MPs from Parliament, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge announced on Tuesday after a meeting of the coalition.
He said the coalition also passed a resolution condemning the suspension and calling the action "undemocratic".
As many as 49 more opposition lawmakers were suspended from Lok Sabha on Tuesday for unruly behaviour, taking the total number of MPs suspended in both Houses of Parliament to 141.
Addressing a press conference after the INDIA bloc meeting, Kharge said, "If we have to save democracy we will have to fight together and all of us are ready for this fight." This is for the first time in India's history that such a thing has happened, Kharge said.
"The issue that we had raised in the House was not a wrong one. How did those people entered Parliament? Who facilitated their entry?" "We had been saying from earlier, Home Minister (Amit Shah) or Prime Minister (Narendra Modi), should come to House and apprise the House about the incident. But they did not agree. I do not understand. Parliament is going on, they go for inauguration in Ahmedabad. Modi ji goes to his constituency, is giving speeches everywhere, why did he not come to Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha? They intend to finish democracy," Kharge said.
This is the first instance that so many people have been suspended, he said.
The prime minister and the home minister are thinking that no one is better than them at ruling over the country.
"We have united to change that mindset", the Congress chief said.
A nationwide protest will be held on December 22 against the suspension of MPs, he said.
While the opposition bloc has slammed as "undemocratic" the suspension of MPs for display of placards demanding a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah on the December 13 security breach in Parliament, the government justified the action saying the suspended MPs insulted the Lok Sabha Speaker, Rajya Sabha Chairman and the institution of Parliament.
On December 13, two persons jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the visitors' gallery and opened smoke cans.