New Delhi, Dec 18 : Amid ongoing face-off between the government and the Opposition parties over Parliament security breach, the total number of MPs suspended from both the Houses reached 92 on Monday.
The MPs have been suspended for the remaining period of the winter session for their alleged unruly behaviour, violation of rules and misconduct.
In an unprecedented move, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday suspended as many as 45 opposition members including senior Congress leaders KC Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh from the House for the remainder of the session for their ‘ignoble and grossly disorderly conduct’.
Separately, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla during the day suspended 33 opposition MPs for their ‘unruly behaviour.’ As many as 14 MPs had been suspended from Parliament last week for their alleged misconduct.
Besides being suspended from the House, the cases of as many as 11 Rajya Sabha MPs have been referred to the Committee on Privileges. They include Jebi Mather Hisham, L. Hanumanthaiah, Neeraj Dangi, Rajmani Patel, Binoy Viswam and Kumar Ketkar.
Opposition MPs in both the two Houses of the Parliament have been protesting against the government over last week’s security breach when two persons carrying smoke canisters jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the visitors’ gallery. The protesting members want the business of the Houses to be suspended and a discussion on the security breach to be taken up.
Their demands have, however, been rejected.
Reacting to the suspension of MPs, KC Venugopal said, “We take it as a badge of honour to be suspended from Parliament at the hands of a fascist regime. After 47 Lok Sabha MPs, the BJP has also suspended Rajya Sabha MPs to suspend a wholesale 92 opposition leaders.”
“Why stop at 92? Why don’t you score a century in style?” he further said in a post on ‘X’.
