NEW DELHI: Continuing the suspension spree, the presiding officer of the Lok Sabha on Tuesday suspended 49 more MPs for disrupting proceedings, a day after 78 others got a similar treatment in Parliament. With this, the total number of suspended MPs from both the Houses has gone up to a record 141. The Opposition announced a nationwide protest on Friday against the suspensions.
Those suspended include National Conference’s Farooq Abdullah, Congress leaders Shashi Tharoor, Manish Tewari, Karti Chidambaram, Samajwadi Party’s Dimple Yadav, Supriya Sule of the NCP, and D N V Senthil Kumar of the DMK. The action came after multiple adjournments, with Opposition members raising slogans and waving placards over their demand for a statement from Union home minister Amit Shah over the Parliament security breach on December 13.
While moving a motion for their suspension, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi pointed out that the protesting members were waving placards despite a general agreement that MPs will not resort to it in the new Parliament building.
“INDIA bloc MPs have been demanding a statement from Amit Shah on the security breach. They had agreed not to bring placards. They are frustrated with their loss, that is why they are resorting to such steps. These people will not come back to the House next time if this behaviour continues,” said Joshi.
As protests continued, the House was adjourned till 2 pm. However, the government took up the three criminal bills to replace the British era bills later. The House discussed the bills in the absence of two-thirds of the Opposition members till 9 pm before adjourning it.
Reacting to his suspension, Tharoor said, “I think it’s a disgrace, to be very blunt. I think what we are seeing with this Parliament right now is a situation where they have no desire to have a democratic system. What they are interested in is an ‘Opposition-mukt Lok Sabha’.”