New Delhi: Attacking Congress over Sonia Gandhi's remarks calling the suspension of 25 party MPs from Lok Sabha "murder of democracy", Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday said it was "unethical" on the part of the main Opposition party to make an issue out of it.
"As a Parliamentary Affairs Minister, I am eager that they come back to the House and work. With all humility I want to say, you protest but do not use harsh words like Black Day. I would urge them to look back a little at least. Please do not give sermons to us on democracy," he said alluding to Emergency imposed during Indira Gandhi's rule.
Attacking Congress for repeatedly disrupting the House, Naidu said, "Congress is not willing to accept the mandate of the people".
Lambasting the Congress for the protest today, he said, "It was unethical for the Congress to use such harsh words and hold such elaborate agitation on the issue of suspension of MPs. Such incidents had happened in the past as well."
While there has been a speculation in the media that Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan could revoke the suspension of 25 Congress MPs tomorrow, Naidu feigned ignorance about it saying he has not heard about it.
Sources in the government said that the revocation of such suspension has happened normally after members have regretted their behaviour and assured about behaving responsibly in the House.
When contacted, one of the suspended Congress MPs said that there is "no plan" by Congress to approach the Lok Sabha Speaker asking to revoke the suspension or apologise over their behaviour in the House.
A senior minister in the government said that the Speaker, however, has the discretion to waive off the suspension period on her own.
"If members go to Speaker and say that they want to come to the House, the Speaker can revoke it," the minister said.
When asked whether he is ready to pursue any such request by Congress MPs with the Speaker, he said, "If somebody wants to talk, I am ready to talk."
The minister strongly justified the Speaker's action saying she has not taken any unilateral decision but has given a "long rope".
