At least 30 opposition Members of Parliament (MPs) have been suspended from Lok Sabha for the remainder of the Winter Session, in a dramatic turn of events. The suspension is the result of their protest in the chamber, which demanded Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s response to the recent security breach in Parliament. 13 opposition MPs were suspended last week for the same reason.
An additional three MPs have been suspended pending a report from the Privileges Committee, bringing the total number of suspended MPs to 46. Of these, 43 MPs are suspended for seeking the Home Minister’s statement on the security breach.
Prominent figures among the suspended MPs include Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Congress’s leader in Lok Sabha; Gaurav Gogoi, deputy leader of the party in the House; and Trinamool MPs Kalyan Banerjee, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Saugata Ray, and Satabdi Roy. DMK members A. Raja and Dayanidhi Maran are also on the list.
Opposition leaders have criticized the government’s approach, accusing it of behaving dictatorially and treating Parliament as a BJP headquarters. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury highlighted that the opposition had been cooperating with the government throughout the session.
Jairam Ramesh, a Congress leader, emphasized that the protest stemmed from the government’s refusal to meet their demand for a statement by the Home Minister. Prime Minister Narendra Modi acknowledged the severity of the December 13th security breach in an interview but stated that a detailed investigation was necessary. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla maintained that security within the House falls under the secretariat’s purview, and the Center’s intervention would not be permitted.
Last Wednesday, Parliament MPs witnessed shocking scenes in the Lok Sabha chamber when intruders staged a protest, jumping from desk to desk and deploying colored smoke canisters. The incident was intended to draw attention to issues such as violence in Manipur, unemployment, and farmer problems. Six people have been arrested in connection with the case, and the Delhi Police have used the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act to prosecute them.