Sonia joins suspended MPs protest in Parliament

NEW DELHI: Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Friday joined the protest of the suspended opposition MPs in Parliament premises after both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned till 2 p.m. amid uproar over the December 13 security breach.

Sonia Gandhi joined the protest near the Makar Dwar of the new Parliament building.

A total of 14 MPs -- 13 from Lok Sabha and one from Rajya Sabha -- were suspended on Thursday for the remainder of the winter session.

Earlier in the day, the suspended MPs staged a protest in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue in the Parliament premises.

Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien has been holding a silent protest since Thursday after his suspension from the Upper House.

Meanwhile, earlier in the day Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi while commenting on the Parliamentary security breach incident said, "Whatever directions the Speaker has given, the government is following them in letter and spirit."

He said that both the Houses come under the Chairman and Speaker. "The matter is also in the court, a high-level investigation is going on. They (the opposition) should behave responsibly and what is this attitude that we will not allow the House to run, this is their statement. This is a sensitive issue and they should behave responsibly," Joshi said.

Taking a swipe at the government and the BJP, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh in a post on X, said, "MPs of the INDIA parties are demanding that the Home Minister make a statement in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha on the shocking incidents of December 13, 2023 involving intruders into the Lok Sabha whose entry was facilitated by a BJP MP, Pratap Simha."

"The Home Minister is simply refusing to make such a statement on what is a very serious security issue. His refusal has led both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to get adjourned till 2pm today," Ramesh said, referring to the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha being adjourned till 2 p.m. on Friday.

The Lok Sabha was adjourned immediately soon after it met for the day as the opposition members raised slogans and also carried placards with them. Rajendra Agarwal, who was in the Chair, adjourned the House till 2 p.m.

The Opposition leaders raised slogans against the major security breach on Wednesday, wherein two people with smoke canisters entered the Lok Sabha. Leaders of the Opposition were captured chanting slogans of ‘PM sadan me aao, Amit Shah sharam karo’ in both Houses.