Opposition resumes House disruptions over MPs' suspension

Members of opposition parties said that there cannot be normalcy in the house when 12 MPs are not allowed to enter Rajya Sabha

The Opposition on Monday sent a strong signal to the government not to read "weakness" over lack of disruption of proceedings in the last two days of the previous week, as it intensified its protest on the issue of suspension of MPs and the issue taking prominence again throughout Monday.

On Thursday and Friday, the Opposition registered its protest against the suspension but did not disrupt the proceedings, Monday was different as the suspended MPs and a section of leaders put pressure for a more robust and loud protest in the House.

Following a meeting of floor leaders at the office of the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, members of opposition parties decided to raise the decibel levels and go as far as disrupting proceedings, if need be, on Monday, sources said.

Also Read — Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day amid Opposition protests over suspension of MPs

"Appealed to the Chairman of Rajya Sabha to revoke the suspension of 12 MPs and allow them to partake in parliamentary debates and discussions. The grounds of their suspension is untenable. Their voice must not be throttled and they must be allowed to do their parliamentary duty," Kharge tweeted.

A section of the leaders, including some in the Congress, argued against disrupting the proceedings and taking part in the discussion on price rise, while others, including Shiv Sena, RJD, DMK and CPI(M), were of the view that the Opposition leaving the suspension issue would further embolden the government.

The renewed vigour of the Opposition was seen in the afternoon session of Rajya Sabha wherein the MPs raised slogans against the government. Home Minister Amit Shah had to read out his statement on the Nagaland issue amid sloganeering against the government.

Twelve suspended Opposition MPs are sitting on a protest at Gandhi statue, every day, since December 1 while other MPs are raising the issue inside the House.

Monday's developments were in contrast to what was decided during a meeting on Thursday evening, when the leaders agreed not to disrupt the House fully but use every opportunity to raise the issue. There was broad agreement to disrupt either Zero Hour or Question Hour, depending on the situation.

However, the suspended MPs and a section of leaders were not enthused at the way things unfolded in the latter part of the week after a group of BJP MPs "gatecrashed" into their protest amid comments by Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu and Leader of House Piyush Goyal.

Also Read — Why has democracy dried up in Parliament? asks Derek as Oppn steps up demand for revoking 12 MPs' suspension

"We are not fully boycotting the discussions. We are not giving up issues in Parliament. The Lok Sabha is functioning. Every party, which has representatives in Rajya Sabha, is present in Lok Sabha also. They are raising these issues in Lok Sabha. So it is not right to say we are not discussing issues. Here the issue is of 12 suspended MPs and we have to fight," DMK floor leader Tiruchi Siva said.

Trinamool Congress floor leader Derek O'Brien said that the situation was not normal and normalcy cannot return to the House when a dozen MPs are not allowed to enter Rajya Sabha. "Unless this issue is not resolved, we cannot call normalcy has returned. That is why the House is not running. The biggest issue is why are the MPs sitting at Gandhi Statue," he said.

Asked about the government's demand for an apology from the suspended MPs, he said, "Let the Prime Minister first come and express regret first for robbing the MPs their right to vote and fight for farmers in Parliament. Then he should express regret for not allowing discussions on issues."

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