New Delhi: Amid the escalating tension between the Narendra Modi government and the united Opposition, three more Opposition Members of Parliament were suspended on Thursday over unruly behaviour, taking the total number of those suspended till now to 146. According to reports, DK Suresh, Nakul Nath and Deepak Baij – all three Congress party MPs – have now been suspended from the lower house. The move follows the recent suspension of dozens of Opposition MPs who demanded a debate on the December 13 Lok Sabha security breach and criticised Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s handling of the situation.
Three more Congress MPs including DK Suresh, Nakul Nath and Deepak Baij suspended from the Lok Sabha.
— ANI (@ANI) December 21, 2023
Opposition Holds Protest March
The latest wave of suspensions unfolded in the aftermath of a protest march by Opposition MPs, who took to the streets to express their discontent. The suspension of lawmakers demanding a discussion on the security breach and criticizing the Home Minister’s statements became a flashpoint for Opposition leaders.
Shashi Tharoor Condemns Govt’s Actions
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, a suspended Lok Sabha MP, strongly condemned the government’s handling of the situation. He remarked that the government’s refusal to address the security breach in the House and the subsequent suspension of MPs demonstrated a lack of commitment to the conventions of Parliamentary democracy. “The government’s actions were unacceptable and showed no willingness to honor the principles of Parliamentary democracy,” Tharoor stated during the suspended MPs’ march.
Concerns Over Passage of Bills In Absence Of MPs
Tharoor highlighted the passing of three crucial bills in the Lok Sabha, including the Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita Bill, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita Bill, and the Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill, in the absence of 97 MPs. He described this as a “disgrace” and emphasized the importance of legislative debates, opposition criticism, and ministerial answers in interpreting laws. “It’s a disgrace. Just last year, one of the Supreme Court Justices observed that in the absence of legislative debates of opposition criticism and ministerial answers, it would be difficult for judges to interpret laws by understanding their legislative intent. So when even that is not possible for the judges, you can understand what a disservice to the country this government has done by bulldozing these laws through without even any pretense of consultation or discussion with the opposition,” he said, adding that it is “truly a moment to start writing obituaries for the parliamentary democracy in our country” Tharoor said.
‘Democracy Under Threat’
The suspended MP expressed grave concerns about the state of democracy in the country, stating, “It is truly a moment to start writing obituaries for the parliamentary democracy in our country.” Participating in the protest march, another suspended MP, John Brittas of CPI(M), went a step further by suggesting that the Constitution should be amended to declare India as a monarchy. He described the situation as the “brutal killing of democracy” and labeled the Parliament as “Opposition-Mukt.”
Opposition Leader Decries ‘Authoritarianism’
Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition, Mallikarjun Kharge, condemned the passage of important legislation through the suspension of opposition MPs. He characterized this approach as “authoritarianism” and called for collective action to “Save Democracy.” “We, the people of India need to Save Democracy. Passing important legislation by suspending Opposition MPs is not Democracy. It is the worst kind of authoritarianism,” Kharge asserted.
At the moment, the suspension of Opposition MPs continues to be a contentious issue, raising concerns about the future of democracy in the country.