NEW DELHI: Some of the 13 suspended Lok Sabha MPs on Monday protested with placards sitting on the steps of Parliament, demanding a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah on the Parliament security breach incident.
Congress MPs Mohammed Jawaid, Hibi Eden, Benny Behanan, Dean Kuriakose and CPI(M)'s S Venkatesan sat on the steps of Makar Dwar of Parliament, holding placards, protesting against the government.
Jawaid said the message they wanted to give through the protest was that the December 13 incident was a serious security breach and Prime Minister Narendra Modi should have given a statement on it in the House and told the people of the country why this happened.
"You (BJP leaders) praised the new Parliament building, and claimed that it was fully secure, it has not even been four months and during a debate, intruders came into the Lok Sabha chamber, what can be a bigger breach? so either the PM or the Home Minister (Amit Shah) should make a statement in the House," the Congress MP from Kishenganj told PTI.
On the suspension of the MPs, Jawaid said, "We have seen in the four-and-a-half years, whenever someone has asked for answers from the prime minister, the home minister, Adani, the suspension is a small thing, membership is being terminated, as we saw in Rahul Gandhi's case."
Several opposition MPs, while entering the Parliament building and exiting it, expressed support with the suspended legislators and clicked photographs with them.
Two people jumped from the visitors' gallery into the Lok Sabha chamber on December 13, with opposition parties, demanding a statement from Shah. Some members have also sought Shah's resignation.
The government has insisted that the security in Parliament complex is the responsibility of the Lok Sabha secretariat and it has been following the Speaker's directives.
It has also cited numerous such violations in the past, accusing the opposition of politicising the issue.
Thirteen opposition MPs, including nine from the Congress and the DMK's Kanimozhi, were suspended from the Lok Sabha for the remainder of the session which is scheduled to end on December 22 for unruly conduct.
Opposition parties have slammed the suspension, noting that no action has been taken against BJP MP Prathap Simha, who facilitated the passes of two accused who carried smoke canisters with them, while their members have been suspended for raising the issue.