New Delhi: At least 120 opposition MPs from the Rajya Sabha will join a sit-in in the Parliament complex on Wednesday, intensifying agitation against the suspension of 12 members of the Upper House amid hectic consultations on a fresh attack against the ruling government. People with knowledge of the matter.
At least 120 opposition MPs from the Rajya Sabha will join a sit-in in the Parliament complex on Wednesday, intensifying agitation against the suspension of 12 members of the Upper House amid hectic consultations on a fresh attack against the ruling government. People with knowledge of the matter.
On Thursday, several opposition MPs from the Lok Sabha are also likely to join a sit-in in front of Mahatma Gandhi’s statue in the Parliament premises in solidarity with their Rajya Sabha counterparts, the people mentioned above said.
12 MPs – six from the Congress, two each from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Shiv Sena, and one each from the Communist Party of India and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) – are on indefinite dharna. On Monday last week, he was suspended for the rest of the winter session after the government passed a resolution seeking his suspension under Rule 256 for his “turbulent and violent behavior” in the Upper House during the monsoon session. was given.
According to a person with knowledge of the matter, a senior Congress strategist met CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Tuesday to discuss the future course of action of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha.
Trinamool Congress national general secretary and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee held a meeting with his party MPs and told them: “Two of our MPs have been suspended but we are all affected. Every day till December 23, all our MPs will support him at the dharna site.
According to a party leader, when a senior TMC MP told Banerjee that she did not get a chance to speak in the House, she said, “There is no gray area in the protest and the interest of the party has to come first”. The leader said Banerjee was clear that the protest should continue.
Amid deliberations within the opposition over the protest, Congress President Sonia Gandhi will address a meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party in the Central Hall of Parliament on Wednesday at 9.30 am. It will be attended by Rahul Gandhi and other party members.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said in the Upper House that the government does not want to pass the bill amid the uproar. “I still request through you, let them be ready to apologize. The whole country has watched. They were dancing on the table, they went to kill the marshal and tried to throw the TV screen,” he said. Referring to the events of the last day of the monsoon session at the beginning of the year, he said.
On August 11, the last day of the monsoon session, some opposition MPs climbed the tables of Rajya Sabha officials, shouting slogans and throwing files, when the House began a discussion on farmers’ protests against the three laws, which are now defunct. Opposition parties termed the suspension as “undemocratic”.
Earlier in the day, Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge reiterated that the government was “responsible for the disruptions” in the Upper House, arguing that the suspension of 12 opposition MPs was “wrong”.
Kharge said, “We tried very hard to facilitate the business of the House, we met the Leader of the House and the Speaker repeatedly and expressed our views that MPs can be suspended only as per Rule 256,” Kharge said. Denying any kind of apology as the government said. Ignored the rules to suspend 12 MPs and wrongly brought the events of the monsoon session to the winter session.
The Leader of Opposition said that “we also wanted to raise several things like inflation, Nagaland issue”. “So, it seems that the government does not intend to run the House, they do not intend to discuss. And those who are vocal people, if we keep them out and run the House, our people will raise questions.
The opposition alleged that the government had adjourned the Rajya Sabha earlier in the day to prevent Nagaland MP KG Kane from speaking on the killing of 14 civilians by the Indian Army in the state.
Abhishek Banerjee and Yechury also said that the question of apology does not arise. Apparently referring to the Congress, TMC leader Derek O’Brien said: “We will do full coordination with all parties. But we will not play second fiddle with anyone.
(With agency inputs)
