Over 90 Opposition members suspended from both Houses for remainder of winter session

New Delhi: Over 90 Opposition MPs from both Houses of the Parliament were suspended for the remaining part of the winter session by the Chairs on Monday as they demanded a statement from union home minister Amit Shah on the Parliament security breach. In the Lok Sabha, Speaker Om Birla suspended 33 MPs, directing three members to the privilege committee, while in the Rajya Sabha, vice-president Jagdeep Dhankar suspended 45 MPs for the remainder of the session, shortly after, as he made critical remarks of their conduct  in the House.

Among those suspended in the Lok Sabha include Leader of Congress party in the Lower House Adhir Ranjan Choudhury, DMK’s TR Baalu, TMC MP Saugata Ray, and RSP MP NK Premachandran. In the Rajya Sabha, suspended members include Pramod Tiwari, Jairam Ramesh, Randeep Singh Surjewala and KC Venugopal.

The suspensions on Monday were in addition to the 13 Lok Sabha MPs and Rajya Sabha’s Derek O’Brien who have already been suspended last week for the same demand. In addition to this, three MPs — Congress MPs Abdul Khaleque, Jayakumar, Vijay Vasant — were suspended pending a report from the privilege committee for standing in the Well of the House. 

This is the first such incident when nearly 100 MPs have been suspended, in the past, in 1989, 63 Opposition MPs were suspended in the Lok Sabha by the Rajiv Gandhi government for carrying out protests asking for the Justice MP Thakkar report on Indira Gandhi’s assassination be tabled in the House. 

In the Lok Sabha, the day’s proceedings began with several Opposition MPs demanding a statement from Shah on the breach, with placards in their hands. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla urged the members to set aside the placards, as it lowered the dignity of the House. Union parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi, too, urged opposition members “with folded hands” to not use the placards. Joshi said that the parties had decided in the meeting of the Business Advisory Committee not to carry placards. 

“It is sad that politics is being done on this issue...To enter the Well of the House and sloganeering is against the dignity of the House. I request your (opposition) cooperation to hold discussions on important issues,” Birla said. 

The House was adjourned till 12pm first, and then till 2 pm, and then till 2:45 pm. After Opposition MPs did not listen, Joshi moved a motion to suspend the leaders from the house. In all, 30 MPs were suspended. Three MPs were sent to privilege committee which will decide the 

duration of their suspension after they climbed onto the dais where the Speaker’s chair is located.

Chowdhury said that the Opposition demand was that the suspension of the MPs who were suspended last week be taken back, and that Shah give a statement. “We asked that the home minister should come to the House and give a statement on the breach in the same manner in which he has spoken to the media outside the House, and tell the country what the government is doing for the safety of Parliament,” Chowdhury said. 

He added that he also told the government that union minister Rajnath Singh, deputy leader of the House, takes into confidence Opposition leaders and runs the House amicably. 

In the Rajya Sabha, 34 of the MPs were suspended for the remainder of the Winter session, with the conduct of 11 MPs being sent to the Committee of Privileges, which will have to submit its report within three months. Dhankar first named the members and then put the motion for their suspension to a voice vote.

The 11 MP whose names have been referred to the privilege committee include Jebi Mather Hisham, L Hanumanthaiah, Neeraj Dangi, Rajmani Patel, Kumar Ketkar, GC Chandrashekhar, Binoy Viswam, Sandosh Kumar P, Mohamed Abdulla, John Brittas and AA Rahim.

Union minister Piyush Goyal said that members misbehaved in the House, and did not let the proceedings carry on. “This conduct is shameful; both the Speaker and the Chairman were insulted and despite their pleas, the Opposition MPs did not relent even when they agreed to not use placards in the all party meeting,” Goyal told reporters after both the Houses were adjourned. 

Congress Lok Sabha MP Jayakumar, who is facing an inquiry in the privilege committee, said that he did not disturb the Speaker. “Any sensible, right thinking government should have put down their resignation letter; the home minister should resign. The prime minister is blissfully unaware and is yet to comment on the matter. We asked the government for a statement; it is the bounden duty of the Speaker to order the government. I shouted from a distance, he could not hear and then i went close to him, about 5 feet, and I was suspended,” Jayakumar said.