‘Namocracy in all its tyranny, complete purge’: Oppn after 141 MPs suspended from Parliament

Today at least 50 more INDIA MPs were suspended from the Lok Sabha alone! A complete purge is being executed so that draconian Bills are passed without any meaningful debate, and so that the BJP MP who facilitated entry of the two intruders into the Lok Sabha on December 13th…

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) December 19, 2023

The MPs who were suspended today include National Conference’s Farooq Abdullah; Shashi Tharoor, Manish Tewari, Karti Chidambaram of the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party’s Supriya Sule. They were suspended for disrupting House proceedings.

Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor said the ruling BJP wanted an “Opposition-mukt Lok Sabha” in order to pass Bills without debate. He added that something similar will happen in Rajya Sabha as well.

It is clear that the BJP wants an ‘Opposition-Mukt’ Lok Sabha, and they will do something similar in the Rajya Sabha.

Unfortunately, we have to start writing obituaries for parliamentary democracy in India.

Today, in solidarity with my colleagues, I too joined the protest,… pic.twitter.com/cW8afOkh5y

— Congress (@INCIndia) December 19, 2023

“Today, in solidarity with my colleagues, I too joined the protest, and everybody who was present has been suspended for the rest of the session, which means they want to pass their bills without any discussion. I think it is a betrayal of parliamentary democracy,” he said.

Reacting to the suspension, Karti Chidambaram said, “This is going to resemble the North Korean Assembly. The only thing missing is clapping, that when the Prime Minister comes and gets his bills passed and gets endorsed by a rubber stamp house. This is going to be a token house.”

VIDEO | “This is going to resemble the North Korean Assembly. This is going to be a token house,” says Congress MP @KartiPC on suspension of 49 Lok Sabha MPs. pic.twitter.com/mCt4JwUvC0

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 19, 2023

Supriya Sule said the MPs were “were standing up for the farmers” and demanding an enquiry into the security breach in the Parliament last week. “Why will you suspend us if we demand something for farmers? The culprit is still sitting inside (the Parliament). This is an emergency,” she said.

#WATCH | On 49 opposition MPs suspended from the Parliament for the remainder of the winter session, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) MP Supriya Sule says, “We were standing up for the farmers and demanding an enquiry (into the Parliament security breach). Why will you suspend us if we… pic.twitter.com/2spRXxyB2I

— ANI (@ANI) December 19, 2023

Terming the Parliament as being “totally delegitimised,” Congress MP Manish Tewari added, “This is to lay the framework of passing the most draconian laws in Parliament, which will turn this country into a police state.”

VIDEO | “Parliament has been totally delegitimized. This is to lay the framework of passing the most draconian laws in Parliament,” says Congress leader @ManishTewari, one of the several Opposition MPs suspended today. pic.twitter.com/Uv75gEr4kT

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 19, 2023

Reacting to the suspension of Opposition MPs, which included his wife and Samajwadi party leader Dimple Yadav, former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said, “How will they call it the temple of democracy now, when they will oust Opposition like this. This is the beginning of their arbitrariness. If they come (to power) the next time, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar’s Constitution will be finished off and you & I will not be able to enter (the Parliament).”

#WATCH | On suspension of 49 MPs from the Lok Sabha today, including his wife and SP MP Dimple Yadav, party chief Akhilesh Yadav says, “BJP should be asked – they call it (Parliament) a temple of democracy. How will they call it the temple of democracy now, when they will oust… pic.twitter.com/HOBHwrvtwq

— ANI (@ANI) December 19, 2023

Aam Aadmi Party MP Sushil Kumar Rinku, who was also suspended today, remarked, “Those speaking the truth and asking questions have been suspended from the House today. And the people who are abusing in the Parliament and because of whom there was a breach in the security of the Lok Sabha are sitting inside while those who are speaking the truth and raising the voice of the people of India are getting suspended.”

#WATCH | “Those speaking the truth and asking questions have been suspended from the House today. The public is seeing the kind of dirty politics happening in the Parliament,” says AAP Lok Sabha MP Sushil Kumar Rinku on his suspension from the House for Winter session. pic.twitter.com/GpSgKA4VMx

— ANI (@ANI) December 19, 2023

“The public is seeing the kind of dirty politics happening in the Parliament,” he added.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit out at the Opposition leaders for their recent protests in Parliament, stating their “antics” will ensure that the Opposition’s numbers will go down in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Stating that some are “not destined to do constructive work”, the PM said the Opposition would not return to the Lok Sabha “even in the current strength”.