Sonia Gandhi criticises Modi govt, accuses it of 'strangling' democracy through suspension of 141 MPs
Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chief Sonia Gandhi challenged her audience to imagine how the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would have reacted if they were in opposition today.
Sonia Gandhi, the chief of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP), delivered a scathing critique of the Narendra Modi government on Wednesday, expressing deep concern over the suspension of a significant number of Opposition MPs during the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament. In her address at the annual CCP meeting in New Delhi, Gandhi proclaimed, "Democracy has been strangled by this (Narendra Modi) government. Never before have so many Opposition MPs been suspended from the house (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha), and that too, simply for raising a perfectly reasonable and legitimate demand."
The Opposition's demand, which Gandhi supported, pertains to seeking a statement from Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the security breach in Parliament on December 13. She emphasized, "All that the opposition MPs asked for was a statement to be made by the (Union) Home Minister in the Lok Sabha addressing the extraordinary events of December 13."
Characterizing the government's response as "arrogant," the Rae Bareli MP added, "There are no words to describe the arrogance with which this request was treated. What happened on December 13th is inexcusable and cannot be justified. It took four days for the Prime Minister to address the nation and express his views on the incident, and he did so outside of Parliament. By so doing, he clearly indicated his disdain for the dignity of the house (Lok Sabha) and his disregard for the people of our country."
The backdrop of this criticism is the chaotic episode in Lok Sabha on December 13, where two individuals breached security, releasing yellow smoke and shouting slogans before being subdued by MPs. Subsequently, the Delhi Police arrested six individuals under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), attributing their involvement in the incident.
Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D were accused of jumping into the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery, releasing yellow smoke, and shouting slogans. Simultaneously, Amol and Neelam were alleged to have released colored smoke and raised slogans outside the Parliament premises. Lalit Jha, identified as the mastermind, recorded the act on his mobile phone from outside the Parliament gate.
Sonia Gandhi's strong condemnation of the government's actions highlights the escalating tension and discord in the parliamentary proceedings, as issues of security breaches and suspension of MPs continue to dominate the political landscape during the Winter Session.