92 MPs suspended from Parl; Oppn terms it "murder of democracy"

NEW DELHI: In a major escalation of tensions between the Opposition and the BJP-led government at the Centre, 78 MPs were suspended from both Houses of Parliament on Monday, taking the total number of suspended MPs in this session to 92 after which Opposition leaders termed it a "murder of democracy."

The reason behind the suspension of Opposition MPs for the rest of the Winter Session was cited as "misconduct" and failure to adhere to the directions of the Chair.

But 92 MPs from the Parliament were suspended following a ruckus over the demand by the Opposition of a statement from Union Minister Amit Shah on the Parliament security breach incident.

When the Lok Sabha resumed proceedings in the afternoon, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi moved a motion to suspend 30 opposition MPs for "misconduct" and "utter disregard" to the chair.

Three other Congress MPs' suspension has been referred to the Privileges Committee.

The MPs who were suspended in Lok Sabha on Monday for the remainder of the session on Monday include Kalyan Banerjee (TMC), A. Raja (DMK), Dayanidhi Maran (DMK), Aparupa Poddar (TMC), Prasun Banerjee (TMC), E.T. Mohammed Basheer (IUML), G. Selvam (DMK), C.N. Annadurai (DMK), Adhir Ranjan Choudhary (Congress), T. Sumathy (DMK), K. Navaskani (IUML), K. Veeraswamy (DMK), N.K. Premchandran (RSP), Saugata Roy (TMC), Satabdi Roy (TMC), Asit Kumar Mal (TMC), Kaushelendra Kumar (JDU), Anto Antony (Congress), S.S. Palanimanickam (DMK), Thirunavukkarasar (Congress), Pratima Mondal (TMC), Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar (TMC), K. Muraleedharan (Congress), Sunil Kumar Mandal (TMC), S. Ramalingam (DMK), K. Suresh (Congress), Amar Singh (Congress), Rajmohan Unnithan (Congress), Gaurav Gogoi (Congress), T.R. Baalu (DMK).

In addition, the duration of suspension of three other MPs from the Congress - K. Jayakumar, Abdul Khaleque, and Vijay Vasanth - will be determined by the Privileges Committee.

Meanwhile, of the 45 suspended MPs, 34 have been suspended for the remainder of the Winter Session, which concludes on December 22, while 11 have been suspended until the reports of the Rajya Sabha's Committee of Privileges are received.

In the Rajya Sabha leader of the house Piyush Goyal moved a motion to suspend 34 members of the opposition for "misconduct" and "continuously shouting slogans and even entered the well of the house during the course of the day thereby violating the rules of the house."

These members included Pramod Tiwari (Congress), Jairam Ramesh (Congress), Amee Yajnik (Congress), Naranbhai (Congress), Syed Nasir Hussain (Congress), Phulo Devi Netam (Congress), Shakti Sinh Gohil (Congress), K.C. Venugopal (Congress), Rajani Patil (Congress), Ranjeet Ranjan (Congress), Imran Pratapgarhi (Congress), Randeep Singh Surjewala (Congress), Sukhendu Sekhar Roy (TMC), Mohammed Nadimul Haq (TMC), Abir Ranjan Biswas (TMC), Shantanu Sen (TMC), Mausam Noor (TMC), Prakash Chik Baraik (TMC), Samirul Islam (TMC), M. Shanmugam (DMK), N.R. Elango, Kanimozhi N.V.N. Somu (DMK), R. Girirajan (DMK), Manoj Kumar Jha (RJD), Faiyaz Ahmed (RJD), V. Sivadasan (CPI-M), Ram Nath Thakur (JDU), Aneel Prasad Hegde (JDU), Vandana Chavan (NCP), Ram Gopal Yadav (SP), Javed Ali Khan (SP), Mahua Maji (JMM), Jose K. Mani (Kerala Congress M), Ajit Kumar Bhuyan (Independent).

In addition, eleven other MPs' suspension was referred to the Privileges Committee by Goyal to determine the duration of their suspension.

These include Jebi Mather Hisham (Congress), L. Hanumanthaiah (Congress), Neeraj Dangi (Congress), Rajmani Patel (Congress), Kumar Ketkar (Congress), G.C. Chandrashekar, Binoy Viswam (CPI), Santosh Kumar (JDU), John Brittas (CPIM), M. Mohammad Abdulla (DMK), A.A. Rahim (CPI-M) be referred to the committee of privileges.

Including TMC's Derek O'Brien on December 14, a total of 46 MPs have now been suspended from the Rajya Sabha. Following the suspensions on Monday, Opposition MPs have lashed out at the Modi government for being "autocratic."

Rajya Sabha MP and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said that "democratic norms are being thrown into the dustbin by an autocratic Modi government by suspending 47 MPs."

"With an Opposition-Less Parliament, the Modi government can now bulldoze important pending legislations, crush any dissent, without any debate." he wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

He added that the Opposition's demands include a statement from Shah on the security breach and a discussion in both houses.

Moreover, Congress leader Salman Khurshid said that this is adverse to Parliamentary democracy.

"It is wrong. This is not democracy. This is adverse to Parliamentary democracy," he added.

Congress MP Randeep Surjewala said that in the 75 years, perhaps this is the saddest day for Parliamentary democracy.

"In 75 years, perhaps this is the saddest day for Parliamentary democracy. What are the MPs and Opposition of the country saying? We are only demanding that the Union Home Minister should give a statement on the security breach...Stifling the voices of MPs and weakening the entire Opposition, by making it an Opposition-free Parliament - is this democratic? The suspension of MPs shows the arrogance of the Modi Government, it shows that it neither trusts Parliamentary decorum nor the Constitution or democracy of the country," Surjewala said.

On the suspension of Opposition MPs, TMC MP Satabdi Roy said, "It is obvious that 43 MPs have been suspended to protect one MP. This has never happened before...We will be outside the House from tomorrow...Let's see what further step is taken."

Congress MP Ranjeet Ranjan said that the BJP government wants the House to function without Opposition.

"BJP government wants the House to function without Opposition. They want no Opposition MP to be present to ask questions and point out their mistakes. Their only aim is to run the government like Hitler," Ranjan said.

Moreover, TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhya said that BJP wants to suppress the Opposition in Parliamentary democracy.

"BJP wants to suppress the Opposition in Parliamentary democracy. They are trying to gag the voice of the Opposition. We will discuss the matter, there is an INDIA Alliance meeting tomorrow...All allies of INDIA Alliance will get closer to each other after this incident," Bandyopadhya added.

Congress Rajya Sabha MP KC Venugopal said that now Parliament is for the suspension of the Opposition MPs, not for debate and discussion."

"The House is functioning with only one purpose that is to suppress the entire voice of the opposition and to suspend maximum people, those who are raising the issues of the people and security...Now Parliament is for the suspension of the Opposition MPs, not for debate and discussion," Venugopal said.

"We take it as a badge of honour to be suspended from Parliament at the hands of a fascist regime. After 47 Lok Sabha MPs, the BJP has also suspended Rajya Sabha MPs to suspend a wholesale 92 opposition leaders. Why stop at 92? Why don't you score a century in style? The people of India are watching, Mr. Modi. When you silence them in this brutal fashion, they will make their voice heard when it counts. If you silence us in Parliament, we will make every street echo in protest. That is our firm resolve," he posted on X.

Congress Lok Sabha Chief Whip K Suresh said that we demanded the revoking of the suspension of Lok Sabha MPs.

"We demanded for Home Minister Amit Shah's statement in Lok Sabha. The recent incidents in Lok Sabha are a very serious issue...It is a national security issue. That's why the Home Minister should come to Lok Sabha and make a statement. But the Government is not ready to do that...We also demanded the revoking of the suspension of Lok Sabha MPs...It was a BJP MP who issued the pass and that pass brought the two youngsters to the gallery...This is a serious security lapse...They are going to suspend all Opposition leaders...They don't want Opposition Members in Lok Sabha...Without Opposition MPs, they have to pass very important legislations...That is why, they are doing this," Suresh said.

Meanwhile, Congress MP Abdul Khaliq said that this is the "murder of democracy."

"We had only sought an answer from the government regarding the security breach incident. We had only asked when the Home Minister would come to the House and give a statement on this and we've been suspended for asking these questions. No action has been taken against BJP MPs Pratap Simha and Ramesh Bidhuri. This is "murder of democracy." We will continue to raise our voice," he added.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said that such tyranny is not acceptable to the country.

"Such tyranny won't work. It is not acceptable to the country. They received this mandate on the trust of the people. They received the mandate because they had considered national security an important issue. But the most secure building is being attacked today. Neither the Prime Minister nor the Home Minister speaks on it. If we demand your statement, you suspended us from the House - this is not acceptable to anyone. We will continue to fight for this. If we are being suspended because we are demanding (statement), then this is a badge of honour for us," Chaturvedi said.

BSP MP Ritesh Pandey said that this suspension is between two parties because of their stubbornness.

"For the proceedings of the house, all the members must participate in it... I think that this suspension is between the two parties because of their stubbornness. The Opposition parties are trying to get those suspended members back. The ruling side is trying to do its work and trying to run the house. Our stance is that we have to present the issues related to the Bahujan Samaj. Who is suspended and who is not, what the government is doing or not doing is between them. BSP Chief Mayawati has guided us that we should present the concerns of Bahujan Samaj," Ritesh Pandey said.

DMK MP TR Baalu said that the House has to be run peacefully but it depends on the behaviour of the ruling party.

"Today 33 Lok Sabha MPs have been suspended...The House has to be run peacefully but it depends on the behaviour of the ruling party. Nothing like this has happened in the history of the Indian Parliament. The government's response is very poor," Baalu said.

Meanwhile, BJP MP Rajendra Agrawal said that the reason behind their suspension is that they were continuously protesting and showing placards and were not allowing the House to function.

"The reason behind their suspension is that they were continuously protesting and showing placards and were not allowing the House to function. The Speaker requested them not to do so but they did not listen to it. 33 MPs have been suspended," Agrawal said.

BJP MP Manoj Tiwari said that it is their right to ask questions, but you raise an unnecessary issue and kill everyone else's rights.

"I think that the remaining MPs - more than 450 in number - have now breathed in relief. It is our right to ask questions. But you raise an unnecessary issue and kill everyone else's rights. This is not justice. You also bring placards which is prohibited," Tiwari said.

LJP President Chirag Paswan said that when the people of Bihar have rejected him completely, it is not possible that the Opposition or the nation will accept his leadership.

"The who is not appropriate for Bihar, will become the face of the Opposition? The one who has been rejected by the people of Bihar dreams of leading the national politics. The (Bihar) CM is now tired. The rumours that come forth every now and then regarding his health and mental status, it is necessary that he takes proper treatment. I hope that he gets well but he cannot lead the country... When the people of Bihar have rejected him completely, it is not possible that the opposition or the nation will accept his leadership," Paswan said.

Accusing the Congress and its allies of "embarrassing" the country with their conduct, Goyal told reporters that opposition members brought placards and willfully disrupted parliamentary proceedings despite the decision taken earlier that placards would not be allowed in the Houses.