Three more MPs suspended as House is adjourned sine die — total now 146

This took the number of MPs suspended in both Houses this session, which began December 4, to 146, including 100 from the Lok Sabha. Most of these MPs — an unprecedented 78 — faced the action in one day on December 18.

The wave of suspensions followed protests over the December 13 Parliament security breach, with the Opposition sticking to its demand for a statement by Union Home Minister Amit Shah inside the House. The face-off only sharpened after TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee was seen mimicking Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar.

Opposition leaders have accused the Government of using the suspensions as a tactic to “bulldoze” important Bills in an “Opposition-less Parliament”. The BJP, on the other hand, alleged a “pre-planned strategy” to “block important Bills”.

Nearly an hour before the Lok Sabha was adjourned Thursday, as Baij, Suresh and Nath stood in the well of the House shouting slogans and holding placards, even tearing one and flinging the pieces in the air, Speaker Om Birla said: “You are sent here to take up the issues of the people… You are tearing and throwing papers in the House. Have you been elected and sent to Parliament for this?”

“I don’t want to suspend anyone but you bring placards in the House and you are telling me to suspend you… this is not right,” Birla said.

Sources said the Congress leadership had directed the party MPs who were not suspended until Thursday to be present in the House and continue their protests.

Earlier in the day, INDIA bloc MPs marched from Parliament to Vijay Chowk to protest the suspension of opposition members.

Speaking with reporters, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge targeted PM Modi, saying, “He should speak in the House first… instead of that he was speaking in Lucknow, Varanasi and Ahmedabad… This is really condemnable and it is also that he violated Parliament privilege.”

Kharge added that on Friday INDIA bloc leaders will be protesting at Jantar Mantar against “this immoral, illegal behaviour of this Government”.

The PM was present in Lok Sabha Thursday afternoon.

Meanwhile, according to Speaker Birla, despite the chaos and adjournments this session, the Lok Sabha recorded 74 per cent productivity.

In his concluding remarks, Birla said the House held 14 sittings and worked for 61 hours and 50 minutes. A total of 18 Bills, including the three on criminal laws, were passed.

Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die four hours later. Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said 17 Bills were passed and business conducted for 65 hours. But 22 hours were lost to “avoidable disruptions”, he said.

“Weaponising disruptions as a political strategy doesn’t resonate with our constitutional obligation of keeping the interest of people above any other political considerations,” he said.