Top Opposition party leaders on Tuesday gathered at the residence of Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi here to discuss the strategy to question the government in the ongoing winter session of Parliament. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MP TR Baalu, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge were among those who participated in the meeting. Opposition parties including Congress, DMK, RJD, Left, NCP, and TMC on Tuesday staged a walkout from the Rajya Sabha after their demand to revoke the suspension of 12 MPs was rejected by the Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday termed the suspension of 12 Rajya Sabha MPs as the “symbol of the crushing of the voice of people of India” and said that the Opposition is not allowed to raise any issue of national importance in the Parliament. Speaking to the media at the Vijay Chowk, the Wayanad MP said, “Suspension of 12 MPs is a symbol of the crushing of the voice of people of India. Their voices have been crushed. They have done nothing wrong. We are not allowed to discuss important issues in Parliament.” “Bill after Bill is being passed in Parliament in the din. This is not the way to run the Parliament. The Prime Minister doesn’t come to House. We are not allowed to raise any issue of national importance. It is the unfortunate killing of democracy,” he said.
Rahul Gandhi called Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Rajya Sabha Chairman “just implementors” of a power that wants to steal farmers’ income.