New Delhi (Delhi) [India], February 4 (HBTV): The standoff between the opposition and the government in the Lok Sabha intensified on Tuesday after eight opposition Members of Parliament were suspended for alleged unruly conduct, even as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused the government of preventing him from completing his speech on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address.
Eight opposition MPs were suspended from the Lok Sabha for the remainder of the Budget Session for violating House rules and ‘throwing papers on the Chair’ amid uproar over Rahul Gandhi’s insistence on referring to border tensions with China in eastern Ladakh in 2020.
The House, which witnessed two adjournments earlier in the day, resumed proceedings at 3 pm. Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, said he would not quote from any magazine article related to the memoirs of former Army Chief General M.M. Naravane but would briefly speak about Chinese actions during the Kailash Range standoff. The government, however, maintained that he could not quote from an unpublished memoir or from any article based on it.
TDP MP Krishna Prasad Tenneti, who was in the Chair, asked Rahul Gandhi to resume his speech on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address and adhere to the ruling already given by Speaker Om Birla. As Rahul Gandhi persisted with his intended remarks, the Chair called upon other members to speak on the motion.
Congress and other opposition members resorted to sloganeering, which intensified after a TDP member began speaking. Amid the uproar, some members were seen throwing papers, following which the House was adjourned till 3 pm.
When proceedings resumed, BJP member Dilip Saikia, who was in the Chair, named eight opposition MPs. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju then moved a motion seeking their suspension for the remainder of the Budget Session for ‘violating rules and throwing papers on the Chair’. The motion was adopted amid protests from opposition members.
The suspended MPs include Congress members Hibi Eden, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Manickam Tagore, Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Prashant Yadaorao Padole, Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy and Dean Kuriakose, along with CPI(M) MP S. Venkatesan.
Rahul Gandhi also wrote to Speaker Om Birla, expressing concern over being ‘prevented from speaking’ on matters of national security during the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address. In his letter, he said he had followed parliamentary convention by authenticating the document he intended to cite, but was still not permitted to quote it in the House.
Reacting to the suspensions, Congress MP Hibi Eden said the party would continue its protest both inside and outside Parliament. Congress MP Raja Warring said Rahul Gandhi’s speech was interrupted when he referred to the Prime Minister and questioned what fear the government had.
Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla said Rahul Gandhi had raised concerns regarding national security. ‘They never allow him to speak. We have put the entire nation on lease just to appease Trump,’ he alleged.
BJP MP Biplab Kumar Deb accused Rahul Gandhi of lacking engagement with the public. ‘He does not do any work for the public. He does not go among the people, so what will he do. He is trying to grab attention. The country’s opposition leader has a certain weight, a certain calibre and a certain tradition. That is a loss for us and a loss for the country,’ he said.
BJP MP Madan Rathore also criticised Rahul Gandhi, saying he should speak in accordance with parliamentary rules and procedures. He alleged that such actions created disorder in the House and negatively impacted India’s security interests.
The Lok Sabha had also witnessed adjournments on Monday after BJP members objected to Rahul Gandhi referring to the contents of the unpublished book of former Army Chief M.M. Naravane. Meanwhile, the Rajya Sabha has also taken up discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address.
(ANI)