When LS saw highest suspension in a day: 63 MPs faced action in March 1989 over Thakkar panel report

Last week, 14 MPs – including 13 from the Lok Sabha and 1 from the Rajya Sabha – were suspended on the same issue as they were protesting the intrusion into Parliament and demanding a statement from Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the matter.

The number of suspended MPs from both the Houses has thus gone up to 92 in this session.

However, the highest number of Lok Sabha MPs suspended in a single day took place in the Budget Session in March 1989 during the Rajiv Gandhi-led Congress regime.

On March 15, 1989, a total of 63 Opposition MPs were suspended in the Lower House for three days for protesting over their demand for tabling of the report of the Inquiry Commission led by Justice M P Thakkar on the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

The Thakkar probe panel cast doubts on the role of R K Dhawan, Indira Gandhi’s special assistant. “There are strong indicators and numerous factors which warrant grave suspicion as regard the complicity and involvement of R K Dhawan, special assistant to the Prime Minister, in the conspiracy to assassinate the late Prime Minister,” the panel stated in its report.

The Opposition staged protests as Dhawan was also part of PM Rajiv’s team. Dhawan later joined the Congress and rose to the rank of its national general secretary.

The suspension of 63 MPs – belonging to the then principal Opposition TDP, Janata Party and CPM, among others – took place after then parliamentary affairs minister H K L Bhagat moved a resolution to this effect in the House.

However, the suspension was revoked a day later after the members tendered an apology to the Speaker.

The synopsis of the report tabled in Parliament later cleared Dhawan’s name from the Indira assassination case.