INDIA bloc to hold protest march today from Parliament over suspension of MPs

The Parliamentarians of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc will today hold a march from Parliament House to Vijay Chowk in Delhi on the issue of suspension of Opposition MPs in both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, reported ANI.

The floor leaders of the INDIA bloc will hold a meeting in the office of Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge. The members of the INDIA bloc have also planned a protest at the Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Friday against the suspension of its MPs.

A total of 143 opposition MPs have been suspended from both Houses of Parliament over the past week after they held protests and raised slogans demanding Union home minister Amit Shah’s statement on the December 13 security breach incident.

On Wednesday, the total number of suspended MPs reached 97 in the Lok Sabha and 46 in the Rajya Sabha. The Opposition, including, the Congress has called the move dictatorial and said that it has hurt the democratic goodwill of the country.

“It was the right of MPs to ask questions inside the Parliament. A large number of people from different parts of the city will raise their voice against the undemocratic move during the protest,” Delhi Congress chief Arvinder Singh Lovely said on Wednesday.

“Most of the INDIA bloc leaders, including MPs who have been suspended, are expected to participate in the demonstration (on Friday),” Delhi Congress spokesperson Mukesh Sharma said.

After the lower house of the Parliament suspended the Opposition members, the Lok Sabha Secretariat issued a circular outlining strict measures restricting the suspended MPs from various parliamentary activities.

The circular detailed the repercussions of the suspension, stating that the MPs are prohibited from entering the Parliament chamber, lobby, and galleries for the duration of their suspension.

Meanwhile, the deadlock between the Opposition and the government deepened on Wednesday over Trinamool MP Kalyan Banerjee’s mimicry of Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar on a mobile camera held by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi. The act has prompted condemnation by President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dhankhar and other union ministers and BJP MPs.