In a significant turn of events, opposition leaders, including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, and NCP chief Sharad Pawar, led a protest on Tuesday against the suspension of more than 90 MPs from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The demonstration, held in the vicinity of Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Parliament, witnessed opposition members displaying posters featuring a morphed image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with chains and a zip over his mouth.
The MPs, with slogans like "Democracy Under Siege" on their placards, demanded that Home Minister Amit Shah provide a statement in the House regarding the security breach.
Criticism from Opposition leaders
Addressing the gathering, Mallikarjun Kharge said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are touring the country but are not attending the session. This is an insult to the dignity of the House... Many MPs have been suspended from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha; it's the first time in the country's history that so many MPs have been suspended. They want to end democracy by intimidating people."
Kharge further demanded that Amit Shah come to Parliament and provide a statement on the security lapse. "We just want the Home Minister to come to the House and make a statement on the security lapse. I don't know why they are avoiding it. The session is ongoing, but they are making statements outside the House. This never happens. What needs to be said in the House is said outside, damaging the dignity of the Parliament," he added.
Concerns about democracy
Highlighting the suspension of MPs as a threat to democracy, Kharge said, "The way MPs are being suspended from Parliament, it seems they (ruling party) look at Opposition as a non-entity. And if this is the case, then democracy has no meaning."
While the protest aimed to draw attention to the security breach and the suspension of MPs, opposition leaders expressed their commitment to upholding the values of democracy and parliamentary decorum. The situation in Parliament remains tense, with both the government and the opposition standing firm on their positions.
Also read | Several Opposition MPs including Shashi Tharoor, Farooq Abdullah suspended from Lok Sabha
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