(Image source from: PTI)
The Opposition party in India, known as INDIA bloc, faced further decline in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday when 49 members of parliament were suspended for their disruptive behavior and refusal to follow the Chair's instructions. This comes after an unprecedented suspension of 78 MPs from both Houses of Parliament the previous day.
Among the suspended MPs are prominent figures such as Shashi Tharoor, Manish Tewari, and Karti Chidambaram from the Congress party, Supriya Sule from the NCP, Dimple Yadav from the Samajwadi Party, Farooq Abdullah from the NCP, S Senthilkumar from the DMK, Sushil Kumar Rinku from the Aam Aadmi Party, and Sudip Bandhopadhyay from the Trinamool Congress. The decision to suspend these MPs was initiated by Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal. In the Lower House, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi stated, "We had decided that placards should not be brought into the House. These steps are being taken out of desperation following their recent electoral losses. That is why we are proposing the suspension of these MPs."
This brings the total number of suspended MPs in Parliament to 141. On Monday, 46 Opposition MPs were suspended from the Lok Sabha, while 45 MPs faced suspension in the Rajya Sabha.
Some Members of Parliament have been suspended due to their actions during parliamentary sessions, according to Pawar. These suspensions come after a series of disruptions and disorderly behavior in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha during the ongoing Winter Session. The government has defended these punitive measures as necessary to maintain order and ensure the smooth functioning of legislative proceedings.
Opposition leaders have strongly criticized the widespread suspensions, accusing the ruling BJP of suppressing dissent and hindering parliamentary discourse, which they see as an attack on democracy.
Jairam Ramesh, a senior Congress leader, stated, "The Opposition is being systematically dismantled in order to pass controversial bills without any meaningful debate. This is also being done to protect the BJP MPs who allowed the two accused individuals into the Lok Sabha on December 13. The new Parliament is revealing various forms of oppressive actions under 'NaMocracy'."
