New Delhi: In a significant development, 78 Opposition Members of Parliament have been suspended from both parliamentary houses following their protest within the chambers. Their demand for a statement from Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding last week’s substantial breach in Parliament security led to this unprecedented action.
Hours after 33 members were suspended from Lok Sabha for “misconduct” for the remainder of winter session, 45 members from opposition of the Rajya Sabha for the remaining period of the session which concludes on December 22.
MPs Suspended From The Lok Sabha:
Congress: Adhir Ranjan Choudhary, Abdul Khaleque, Dr. K. Jayakumar, Vijaykumar Vasanth, Gaurav Gogoi, Su. Thirunavukkarasar, Rajmohan Unnithan, Amar Singh, Kodikunnel Suresh, K Muraleedharan, and Anto Antony.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK): T. R. Baalu, Ramalingam Sellaperumal, S. S. Palanimanickam, Dayanidhi Maran, A. Raja, Ganesan Selvam, T. Sumathy, C. N. Annadurai, and Kalanidhi Veeraswamy.
Trinamool Congress (TMC): Kalyan Banerjee, Aparupa Poddar, Prasun Banerjee, Sougata Ray, Satabdi Roy, Asit Kumar Mal, Pratima Mondal, Kakoli Ghosh, and Sunil Mondal.
Additionally, IUML’s E. T. Mohammed Basheer, and Kani K. Navas; JDU’s Kaushalendra Kumar; RSP’s N. K. Premachandran.
MPs Suspended From The Rajya Sabha:
Congress: Pramod Tiwari, Jairam Ramesh, Amee Yajnik, Naranbhai J. Rathwa, Syed Nasir Hussain, Phulo Devi Netam, Shaktisinh Gohil, KC Venugopal, Rajani Ashokrao Patil, Ranjeet Ranjan, Imran Pratapgarhi and Randeep Singh Surjewala.
TMC: Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, Mohammed Nadimul Haque, Abir Ranjan Biswas, Santanu Sen, Mausam Noor, Prakash Chik Baraik and Samirul Islam.
DMK: M Shanmugam N R Elango, Kanimozhi NVN Somu and R Girirajan.
Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Manoj Kumar Jha and Faiyaz Ahmad; CPI (M’s) V Sivadasan; JDU’s Ram Nath Thakur and Aneel Prasad Hegde; NCP’s Vandana Chavan; Samajwadi Party’s Ram Gopal Yadav, Javed Ali Khan; Jharkhand Mukti Morcha’s Mahua Maji; Kerala Congress (M) MP Jose K Mani; and Independent legislator Ajit Kumar Bhuyan.
Additionally, 11 MPs were also suspended and their names were sent to the Rajya Sabha Committee of Privileges are Congress’s Jebi Mather Hisham, L Hanumanthaiah, Neeraj Dangi, Rajmani Patel, Kumar Ketkar and G C Chandrashekhar; CPI’s Binoy Viswam, Sandosh Kumar P; DMK’s M Mohamed Abdulla; and CPI (M) legislators John Brittas and AA Rahim.
Those names referred to the Privileges Committee, which has been asked to give its report in three months, will be suspended until the report is submitted by the panel to the House.
Earlier 14 MPs were suspended on December 14, 13 Lok Sabha MPs and one Rajya Sabha MP were suspended for “unruly conduct” in Parliament. The total number of MPs suspended in the Winter session of the Parliament is now 92.
Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, “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. He gives statements to the TV every day and he can speak a little in the Parliament too regarding what is being done by the Government for the security of the Parliament…Today’s Government has reached the heights of tyranny…We wanted discussion.”
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, “The Prime Minister speaks to a leading newspaper on the very serious December 13th security breach in the Lok Sabha. The Home Minister speaks to a TV channel on the security breach. Parliament is in session. INDIA parties are demanding a statement from the Home Minister in both Houses on the shocking incidents. It is a simple, straightforward and legitimate demand. But Home Minister refuses to make a statement which is his duty and responsibility. This is why Parliament is getting adjourned repeatedly.”