Revoke suspension of Opposition MPs, Adhir writes to Speaker

“However, considering the fact that the Members who have been suspended on account of ‘unruly conduct’ were pressing for an explanation from the Government on very troubling issues, to me, it appears to be appropriate to hear them on their concerns and points of view. Considering the factors that led to the suspension of 13 members in the recent days, I would urge that the matter be re-looked into holistically and appropriate action taken for revoking the suspension and restoring order in the House,” he wrote.

The letter came a day after the Speaker wrote to all MPs, urging them to give primacy to the dignity and decorum of the House.

Opposition MPs stalled proceedings in both Houses of Parliament Thursday and Friday, demanding a statement from Union Home Minister Amit Shah and a discussion on the security breach. They also demanded presence of PM Narendra Modi in the House and action against BJP MP Pratap Simha who facilitated passes for the two who jumped off the visitors’ gallery in Lok Sabha and burst colour canisters.

Referring to the security breach, Chowdhury said in his letter that the incident was different in nature from the December 13, 2001 terror attack on Parliament House.

“Yet, the incident of 13th December, 2023, has also brought to the fore issues relating to the security of the Institutions which are the core of our democratic practices and ethos,” he wrote. “It is primarily on account of factors such as these that following the attack on Parliament House on 13th December, 2001, the then Home Minister, Shri Lal Krishna Advani made a detailed statement on the incident in the House… . In the present instance too, it is but appropriate for the Home Minister to make a statement in the House on the incident.”

He suggested a review of the procedures for entry of visitors to Parliament.