Winter Session, Day 3: Showdown over suspension of 12 Rajya Sabha MPs continues, Opposition says `we won`t apologise`

New Delhi: The showdown over the suspension of 12 Rajya Sabha MPs for their alleged misconduct is likely to disrupt the proceedings on the third day of the ongoing Winter session of Parliament on Wednesday.

While the government has been insisting that the Opposition should apologise to the nation for the unruly behaviour of the suspended MPs, the Opposition has categorically refused to do so and alleged a political agenda behind the “unconstitutional action’’ against 12 MPs.

Rajya Sabha MP and Communist Party of India leader Binoy Viswam on Tuesday asserted that no one will apologize to the government for their alleged "misconduct" in the Parliament. Viswam said, "We were suspended for no fault. We did not commit a crime. We did not do anything wrong. We, in the Parliament, were trying to raise concerns of the people of this country. In my opinion, the Parliament is meant for raising people`s issues. The people concerns and sorrows are to be reflected. We were objecting to the insurance bill, banking bills, farming laws, government approach on Pegasus."

"If we do not fulfill that purpose, why are we here? All these are the people`s concerns. In my belief and faith, the people concerns are to be made here in the parliament. We tried that, but the government does not believe in democratic norms and tries to silence us out. They are trying to kill the spirit of dissent, discussion and debate of the House. They are trying to punish us and they are asking us whether we are ready to apologise. Our reply to that is we will never apologise because we have not done a mistake," Viswam said."

Hitting back at the Opposition, the government said that the suspended MPs should apologize to the House, the Chair and the country for their behaviour. Leader of the House Piyush Goyal defended the Chair`s decision to suspend the Opposition members and condemned the behaviour of the members during the Monsoon session.

Goyal said, "It is regrettable that the Leader of Opposition lowered the dignity of the House by making allegations regarding the suspension of 12 MPs.

"He alleged that the Opposition members misbehaved with the staff of the House. "The whole House would like the MPs to return. They should apologise for their behaviour on August 11. They should apologise to the House, the chair and the country," Goyal stated.

On Monday, 12 members were suspended for alleged unruly conduct towards the end of the monsoon session in August when marshals were called after Opposition members stormed the well of the House during the passage of the General Insurance Business (Nationalisation) Amendment Bill, 2021.

The suspended members comprise six from the Congress, two each from Trinamool Congress and Shiv Sena, and one each from CPI and CPM: Phulo Devi Netam, Chhaya Verma, Ripun Bora, Rajamani Patel, Syed Nasir Hussain and Akhilesh Prasad Singh of Congress; Dola Sen, Shanta Chhetri of Trinamool Congress; Priyanka Chaturvedi, Anil Desai of Shiv Sena; Elamaram Kareem of CPM; and, Binoy Viswam of CPI.