8 MPs Sent Out for Remainder of Budget Session
Action was taken for "throwing papers on the chair" following uproar in the House over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's insistence on mentioning a specific reference about the standoff with China in eastern Ladakh in 2020
New Delhi: Taking a tough stand against the Opposition’s vociferous protests, the Lok Sabha on Tuesday suspended Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy and seven other members, accusing them of 'unruly behaviour' after they tore papers and threw them at the Chair. They have been suspended from the House for the remaining part of the Budget Session that concludes on April 2.
The other suspended members were Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Hibi Eden, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Manickam Tagore, Prashant Padole, Dean Kuriakose (all Congress) and S. Venkatesan (CPI-M).
The Opposition vowed to intensify the face-off with the government over various issues, including Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi being denied an opportunity to cite an article based on excerpts from an unpublished 'memoir' of former Army chief Gen. M.M. Naravane (retd) on India-China conflict of 2020. The Opposition also raised concerns about US President Donald Trump announcing the India-US trade deal and the alleged demolition drive at the Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi.
The session remained disrupted since the morning. At 3 pm, when it reconvened, Dilip Saikia, who was in the Chair, named the eight members. Subsequently, parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju read out a resolution seeking suspension of the members for the remaining period of the Budget Session.
Rijiju said the members had acted in utter disregard to the House and the authority of the Chair. He alleged the suspended tore papers, threw them on the Chair and also tried to climb on to the table of the Secretary General. The House passed the resolution by a voice vote, following which the proceedings were adjourned for the day amid uproar.
In the House, Rahul Gandhi tried to raise the Galwan incident mentioned in Gen. (retd) Naravane’s memoir in different ways but was not allowed. He even authenticated the content as was told by Speaker Om Birla.
The chair told him to focus his address only on the motion of thanks to the President’s address. With Gandhi insisting on speaking on the memoir, the chair called other members to speak. None of the Opposition members spoke after which the chair called the NDA members. It was then when the Opposition members entered the Well in protest, shouted slogans and tore papers. They again tore papers when there suspension was announced.
Later, Congress members, led by Rahul Gandhi, staged a protest outside Parliament building against the suspension of party members. Opposition members said the suspended members will continue to protest outside the House.
Gandhi has written a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla protesting that he was not allowed to speak even after authenticating the papers. “Preventing me from speaking in the Lok Sabha today not only violates this convention (to refer to an authenticated article), but also gives rise to a serious concern that there is a deliberate attempt to prevent me, in my capacity as the Leader of the Opposition, from speaking on matters of national security. It is worth repeating that national security was a key part of the President’s Address, which req
He added that as the impartial custodian of the House, it was the Constitutional and Parliamenta
Later, while speaking to the media outside Parliament, Gandhi targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Modi ji is rattled. The (US-India) trade deal, which was stalled for the past four months, was signed by Narendra Modi last night. There is extreme pressure on him. Narendra Modiji's image can get damaged,” he said.
“The issue is not about Gen. Naravane’s (retd) statement, it’s a sideshow. Both he (PM) and I know. The main thing is that our PM is compromised. Who has done it, how it has been done, the Indian public needs to think about this.”
He said the PM had “sold your (farmers) hard work in this trade deal because he is compromised. He has sold the country…” Gandhi alleged. “Narendra Modi ji is scared because those who shaped his image are now breaking this image...
“There is a case on Adani ji in the US, it is actually a case on Modi ji targeting his, BJP’s financial structure. Second is the Epstein Files which contain even more than what the US has released. There is pressure due to that as well. These are the two pressure points. The country should understand this," Gandhi said outside the Parliament.
