In a significant development during the Winter Session of Parliament, the Lok Sabha took the decision to suspend 33 opposition members, including prominent Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, for the remainder of the session. The suspension, announced on Monday, was a consequence of the ongoing protests by opposition members seeking a response from Union Minister Amit Shah regarding the December 13 security incident.
Among those suspended are K Jayakumar, Vijay Vasanth, and Abdul Khaleque. This move comes shortly after the suspension of 13 MPs, including nine from the Congress, who were penalized for displaying banners and engaging in disruptive behavior in the House.
In response to his suspension, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury expressed his discontent, stating, “All leaders, including me, have been suspended. We have been demanding for days to reinstate our MPs who were suspended earlier and that the Home Minister come to the House and give a statement. Today’s Government has reached the heights of tyranny. We wanted discussion.”
The opposition has been pressing for a discussion on the December 13 security incident, seeking accountability from the government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent remarks emphasizing the need for an investigation rather than a parliamentary discussion have intensified tensions between the ruling and opposition parties.
The Congress accused the government of avoiding a debate on the issue to protect BJP MP Pratap Simha, alleged to have provided entry cards to the intruders involved in the commotion inside the Lok Sabha. The opposition had earlier called for the reinstatement of the 13 suspended Lok Sabha members, and some members demonstrated with placards on the Parliament steps in protest against the government’s stance.
Protesting against the government, Congress MPs Mohammed Jawaid, Hibi Eden, Benny Behanan, Dean Kuriakose, and CPI(M) MP S Venkatesan sat on the steps of Parliament’s Makar Dwar, waving banners. The opposition’s demand for a statement from the Home Minister and a comprehensive discussion on the security breach remains a key point of contention as the Winter Session unfolds.
