49 more Opposition MPs suspended from Lok Sabha; number of suspensions now 95

Forty nine MPs from opposition parties were suspended from the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, a day after a record 78 parliamentians from both houses were suspended till at least the end of the winter session.

Parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi, who spoke before law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal moved a motion for the suspension of the opposition MPs, said they were “frustrated” about the recent assembly election results.

Opposition MPs have been pressing for statements from the Prime Minister and the home minister, and a discussion, on the breach of Parliament security last week.

“They had agreed not to bring placards. They are frustrated with their loss, so taking such steps. These people will not come back in the House next time if this behaviour continues,” Joshi said.

“They are insulting the chair and the people of India by bringing placards,” he said.

The fresh round of 49 suspensions on Tuesday increases the total number of suspended Lok Sabha MPs to 95 (33 were suspended Monday, adding to the 13 suspended last week). This is in addition to the 46 Rajya Sabha members who are under suspension.

Among the 49 suspended from the Lok Sabha on Tuesday were Nationalist Congress Party’s Supriya Sule, Jammu & Kashmir National Conference MP Farooq Abdullah, Congress leaders Shashi Tharoor and Karti Chidambaram, Bahujan Samaj Party’s Danish Ali and Samajwadi Party’s Dimply Yadav.

Supriya Sule said the large scale suspension of MPs was like “undeclared emergency”.

Karti Chidambaram said he wasn’t holding a placard and was still suspended. ‘’I have no idea why i was suspended. I didn’t raise slogans or a placard. I was standing in the aisle. Also, Dimple Yadav wasn’t even standing in the aisle. She was standing in her allocated space. This has to be a technical suspension’’

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said: “It is clear that they want an Opposition-mukt Lok Sabha and they will do something similar in Rajya Sabha. At this point, unfortunately, we have to start writing obituaries for Parliamentary democracy in India…Today, in solidarity with my colleagues, I too joined the protest and everybody who was present has been suspended for the rest of the session which means they want to pass their Bills without any discussion,” Tharoor said

Farooq Abdullah said the union home minister Amit Shah should have spoken on the security breach. “Who does the Police come under? What would have happened if he made a statement in Parliament on the incident (security breach)?”