The suspension of numerous Members of Parliament (MPs) from both houses has ignited a firestorm of criticism, with Aam Aadmi Party MP Raghav Chadha declaring that it is not just MPs who have been suspended, but democracy itself.
Yesterday, forty-nine opposition MPs, including prominent figures such as Farooq Abdullah, Supriya Sule, Dimple Yadav, and Shashi Tharoor, were suspended from the Lok Sabha for the remainder of the winter session. This move comes in the wake of the suspension of 33 MPs the previous day for alleged “misconduct.”
Expressing his dismay at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Chadda said, “What is most shocking and most unfortunate is the fact that the BJP member of parliament who sponsored and facilitated the entry of two intruders in the visitor’s gallery who then subsequently breached the security of the Lok Sabha has not been suspended, expelled or called for investigation. But those members who were seeking a response from the government on the security breach and the role of the BJP MP have been suspended. Those who sponsored the intruders have not been suspended.”
“I would not say that some MPs were suspended but democracy has been suspended,” the AAP leader added. Calling it a “black day” for India’s democracy, Chadha emphasized the gravity of the situation. Likewise, suspended members associated with the INDIA bloc alliance criticized the BJP-led Centre, denouncing their suspension as the “ultimate failure” of the government and labeling the situation inside Parliament as “anarchy.” They further accused the ruling party of pursuing an “Opposition-mukt” Lok Sabha, a term implying the elimination of any opposition presence.
Speaking to ANI, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said, “…It is clear that they want an Opposition-mukt Lok Sabha and they will do something similar in Rajya Sabha. At this point, unfortunately, we have to start writing obituaries for Parliamentary democracy in India…”
“Today, in solidarity with my colleagues, I too joined the protest and everybody present has been suspended for the rest of the session which means they want to pass their Bills without any discussion. I think it is a betrayal of Parliamentary democracy…”
Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury echoed these sentiments, decrying the prevailing anarchy within Parliament and accusing the BJP of lacking faith in the parliamentary system. BSP MP Shyam Singh Yadav said that never in India’s democratic history has one seen suspension of so many MPs.
“Never in India’s democratic history has one seen suspension of so many MPs from the Parliament. This shows that the governing party has become very arrogant… They are so high on their greed for power that they have lost all senses,” Yadav said.
With 49 Lok Sabha MPs suspended, the total number of opposition parliamentarians suspended from the two Houses has gone up to 141. The winter session will conclude on December 22.
