New Delhi, Feb 3: Eight opposition lawmakers were barred from the Lok Sabha on Tuesday for the duration of the current Budget Session after a heated confrontation with the Chair. The suspension follows a series of protests by opposition parties, led by the Congress, who accused the government of stifling debate on national security and international trade agreements.
The suspension resolution, introduced by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, was passed amid an uproar that eventually led to the adjournment of the House for the day. Government officials noted that the MPs had reached the well of the House and threw torn papers toward the presiding officer, a move characterized as a serious breach of discipline.
“These members were shouting slogans and tearing up papers on the floor of the House,” Dilip Saikia, who was in the Chair, noted while naming the eight individuals. The list features prominent Punjab leader Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and seven others who will now miss the remainder of the session.
The tension peaked after Rahul Gandhi was prevented from citing a magazine article concerning India-China border issues. Opposition leaders directly said that the suspension is an attempt to silence voices questioning the government’s stance on the Ladakh standoff and the new trade deal with the United States.
Following the House’s decision, the suspended MPs and their colleagues gathered at the Gandhi statue in the Parliament complex to register their protest. They mentioned that their agitation against the “arbitrary” suspension and the denial of their right to speak would persist in the coming days.
