NEW DELHI: In what Congress has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party government of trying to bulldoze key legislations in an ‘Opposition-less’ Parliament, 78 MPs from the Opposition were suspended from Parliament on Monday for demanding resignation from Home Minister Amit Shah.
As many as 33 members were suspended from Lok Sabha and 45 from Rajya Sabha after the Opposition refused to budge on their demand for a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah over the breach in Parliament security on December 13, when two protesters jumped into the lower house chamber and opened smoke cans.
Monday’s action has taken the total number of opposition MPs suspended from both houses to 92 since last Thursday on the issue.
AAP member Sanjay Singh has been suspended as a Rajya Sabha member from July 24.
On Thursday, the Lok Sabha suspended 13 members for the remaining part of the Winter Session for waving placards and disrupting proceedings over the Parliament security breach issue.
Trinamool member Derek O’Brien was suspended from the Rajya Sabha for the remainder of the Winter Session for unruly behaviour.
In the Lok Sabha, 33 members, including floor leaders of the Congress and DMK, the two large parties in the opposition, were suspended on Monday. While 30 members were suspended for the remainder of the Winter Session in Lok Sabha, three members were suspended, pending the report of the Privileges Committee.
The three K Jayakumar, Vijay Vasanth and Abdul Khaleque had climbed on the Speaker’s podium to raise slogans.
Speaker Om Birla told the House about the steps taken by the Lok Sabha secretariat following the security breach incident on December 13 and sought cooperation from all members to run the House smoothly.
However, the opposition members were on their feet demanding a statement from Shah and his resignation. Some opposition MPs were also carrying placards with their demands written on them.
Birla objected to the placards being brought into the Lok Sabha, saying it lowers the dignity of the House.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi also appealed to the opposition MPs “with folded hands” to not wave the placards, saying it was agreed at the meeting of the Business Advisory Committee not to carry placards.
The opposition MPs ignored the appeals of Birla and Joshi, and continued their protests, resulting in the suspension of 33 members.
