14 suspended MPs to return following parliamentary panels' recommendation
New Delhi: All the 14 Opposition MPs from Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, who remain suspended for their protest demanding a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah on the Parliament security breach, will return to the Houses during the Budget Session after committees dealing with the issue recommended revoking the punishment, with which the Chairs of the Houses agreed.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said both Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar have agreed to the government's request in this regard after the Privileges Committees of the Houses recommended revoking their suspension. The MPs -- 11 from Rajya Sabha and three from Lok Sabha -- have expressed regret, sources said.
A total of 146 Opposition MPs, including 100 Lok Sabha MPs, were suspended during the Winter Session last December, of which the suspension of 132 MPs was for the remainder of the Session. However, 14 MPs were suspended till the Privileges Committees submitted their report.
"Everybody's suspension will be withdrawn. We have requested the Speaker and the Chairperson on behalf of the government, and they have agreed," Joshi said.
Earlier in the day, the Privileges Committee of the Rajya Sabha met here to discuss the issue. With MPs submitting letters of regret, the committee decided to recommend revocation of their suspension.
The Lok Sabha committee had last week recommended such a course of action.
The 11 Rajya Sabha MPs who were under suspension were Jebi Mather Hisham, L Hanumanthaiah, Neeraj Dangi, Rajmani Patel, Kumar Ketkar and GC Chandrashekhar (Congress), Binoy Viswam and Sandosh Kumar P (CPI), M Mohamed Abdulla (DMK) and John Brittas and AA Rahim (CPI-M).
From Lok Sabha, K Jayakumar, Abdul Khaleque and Vijay Vasanth (all Congress) were the MPs whose cases went to the Privileges Committee.
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