Congress Lok Sabha members Dean Kuriakose and T N Prathapan may face suspension for “misconduct” with a lady member in the House as the BJP is all set to push for strong action against them for charging towards Union Minister Smriti Irani.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi is scheduled to move a motion in the Lok Sabha on Monday seeking suspension of Prathapan and Kuriakose for the remaining part of the Winter Session “having taken serious note of the misconduct” with a “lady member of the House, who is also a Union Minister, in utter disregard to the House and authority of the Chair”.
The notice for the motion has been listed in the business of the Lok Sabha for Monday. The Winter Session of Parliament is scheduled to end on Friday, but there is also a buzz of it being extended by another week to accommodate the government's legislative agenda.
BJP had been demanding an unconditional apology from Prathapan and Kuriakose for their actions in the Lok Sabha on Friday when Irani was speaking on the incidents of rape and attacks on women in various states of the country.
On Friday, Joshi had argued that it was improper for members to adopt a threatening posture against a fellow member. BJD member Anubhav Mohanty and AAP member Bhagwant Mann also disapproved of the behaviour of the Congress members. If lawmakers display such behaviour, what can be expected from others, Mann had argued.
Several woman members demanded “justice” for Irani, and demanded that the Congress members should apologise or be prepared to face punitive action. The Lok Sabha had to be adjourned twice before calling it off for the day as the apology from the Congress members was not forthcoming.
Prathapan and another Congress member Hibi Eden had drawn the ire of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla over unveiling a banner in the House and clashing with the marshals.