Govt vs Opposition: 20 suspended Rajya Sabha MPs begin 50-hour protest in Parliament complex

New Delhi: Twenty Opposition MPs, who were suspended from the Rajya Sabha for disrupting proceedings, started a 50-hour-long protest at the Gandhi statue in Parliament on Wednesday. Speaking to ANI, AAP MP Sanjay Singh said, "Suspended MPs will sit on dharna till Friday 5 p.m. Meanwhile, some women MPs and elderly MPs will sit shift-wise."

As many as 24 Opposition MPs - 20 from the Rajya Sabha and four from the Lok Sabha - have been suspended for their unruly behaviour in Parliament. A meeting of Opposition parties was held to discuss the issue of suspension of MPs. However, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Trinamool Congress (TMC) skipped the meeting.

The 20 MPs, suspended over the last two days, include seven from the Trinamool Congress (TMC), six from the DMK, three from the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), two from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and one each from the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Today, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh was suspended from the Rajya Sabha for the remainder of this week for "throwing paper on the Chair" a day ago during proceedings of the House. Singh is the 20th MP from the Upper House who has been suspended for disrupting proceedings. This is the highest number of single-batch suspensions in the Upper House.

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday said that the opposition will submit a request to the Speaker of Lok Sabha and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha to rescind the suspension of the members who raised their voices against the price rise.

A meeting of opposition parties was held today to discuss the issue of suspension of MPs and to chalk out a strategy for the floor of the house. Speaking to ANI, Kharge said, "The issues that we have been raising since the last 7 days regarding inflation and imposition of GST on essential commodities, today on the eighth day also we will raise our voice regarding the same. Common people are worried about this. We are also raising our voices continuously, but the government is not ready for discussion. I personally met the chairman and said that you allow the discussion and tell the date and time, we will be ready for discussion, but the government is not ready to accept it. We will submit a request to Speaker and the Chairman to rescind the suspension of the members who raised their voices against the price rise."

He further said that the suspension of MPs which has been done at the behest of the government should be withdrawn with immediate effect. Samajwadi Party leader Ramgopal Yadav, Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) MP NK Premachandran, Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) MP Vaiko, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) ET Mohammed Basheer, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut and Priyanka Chaturvedi, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha, Communist Party of India (Marxist) MP Elamaram Kareem, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) MP Jayant Chaudhry were present in the meeting today.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Trinamool Congress (TMC) skipped the meeting. Opposition MPs also protested in front of the Gandhi statue on the suspension of MPs from Parliament. Earlier on Tuesday, 19 Opposition MPs including TMC leaders Sushmita Dev, Santanu Sen, and Dola Sen were suspended from Rajya Sabha for the remaining part of the week for `misconduct`.

They were suspended for storming into the well of the House and sloganeering against the government over inflation. On July 25, four Congress MPs including Manickam Tagore, Ramya Haridas, Jothimani and TN Prathapan, were suspended from the Lok Sabha for the entire Monsoon session for their `unruly behaviour and disrupting proceedings. 

The MPs were suspended according to Rule 374 on `unruly and disrespectful behaviour towards the Chair.` The Upper House has been facing adjournment on various issues due to the Opposition ruckus since the Parliament`s Monsoon Session started.

The Monsoon Session of Parliament commenced on July 18 and will continue till August 12. There will be 18 sittings during the Session.