Adhir Chowdhury suspension from Lok Sabha revoked after panel resolution for his reinstatement

Earlier in the day, Chowdhury appeared before the Privileges panel chaired by BJP MP Sunil Kumar Singh, and is learnt to have told the members that he did not have any intention to hurt anyone.

Chowdhury, Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, was suspended for “repeated misconduct” on August 10, a day before the Monsoon Session ended, “pending a report by the Privileges Committee”.

His suspension came soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi replied to the discussion on the no-confidence motion in the House, which was moved by the Congress and backed by other Opposition parties.

Moving a resolution for Chowdhury’s suspension, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi had said that he “disturbed” the House whenever the PM and ministers spoke or a debate was underway.

Chowdhury is learnt to have told the Privileges Committee that leaders from West Bengal generally use metaphorical language, allegories, acronyms, alliterations and analogies as political asides, and his comments should be seen in that spirit.

He is also learnt to have pointed out that the Speaker had already expunged his objectionable remarks, and suggested that the panel should propose that a comprehensive law be drafted in consultation with all stakeholders in Parliament on issues like privileges, ethics, immunities and freedom of speech enjoyed by MPs.

Following his suspension, Chowdhury had said that he had faced action for targeting Modi. “If they prove that I committed a mistake, I am ready to leave my political life. We use metaphorical language in the House all the time. Haven’t members said Nero played the fiddle while Manipur burned? Everybody said… It is a metaphorical usage. Our language is loaded with these kinds of skilful utterances, metaphorical utterances,” he had said.

“What did I say? I said a king should not be blind like Dhritarashtra to what is happening against women, whether it is in Hastinapur or Manipur… I did not abuse Modi. It is a metaphorical way of depicting the situation,” Chowdhury had said.

“Then I said that although (fugitive diamantaire) Nirav Modi has fled the country, there is a Nirav Modi. Nirav means one who is quiet. So I told the PM that you talk about the cheetahs in Kuno but you are quiet on Manipur… If I said anything wrong, I am ready to leave public life… it (suspension) is the tyranny of the majority,” he had said.

Over the last two days of the Monsoon Session, Chowdhury and AAP Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha were suspended from Parliament “pending a report by the Privileges Committee”, while the suspension of another AAP Rajya Sabha member, Sanjay Singh, was extended under the same provision.

On August 11, it was the turn of Chadha, who was suspended after a motion was moved by Leader of the Upper House Piyush Goyal accusing him of “gross violation of rules and misconduct”, with his case referred to the Privileges panel. This came days after four MPs – two from the BJP and one each from its ally AIADMK and the BJD – charged that their names had been added by Chadha in a proposal for a Select Committee over the Delhi services Bill “without their consent”.

Chadha’s suspension made it the fourth such action against an Opposition MP in the three-week-long Monsoon Session of Parliament.