The opposition coalition INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) held a nationwide protest on Wednesday, December 22, against the suspension of 141 MPs from Parliament over the issue of security breach in the House. The coalition, which comprises 11 parties including Congress, DMK, NCP, RJD, SP, and TMC, also passed a resolution condemning the suspension and calling the action “undemocratic” and “unconstitutional”.
The protest was led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who addressed a large gathering at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. He accused the ruling BJP government of silencing crores of Indians by suspending their representatives from Parliament. He also demanded a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah on how six intruders managed to enter the Lok Sabha chamber on December 13 and release smoke cans.
“The government has suspended 141 MPs who were asking for a debate on the security breach in Parliament. This is an attack on democracy and the Constitution. The government is afraid of the truth and the voice of the people. They want to run the country without any accountability or transparency,” Gandhi said.
He also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not attending the Parliament session and instead campaigning in his constituency Varanasi. He said Modi was “running away” from his responsibilities and “hiding” from the people. He urged the people to join the INDIA bloc in its fight to save democracy and the country.
The protest was also joined by other prominent leaders of the INDIA bloc, such as Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, DMK chief M K Stalin, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, and TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee. They all expressed their solidarity with the suspended MPs and slammed the government for its “arrogance” and “autocracy”.
The suspension, which affected 34 Rajya Sabha MPs and 107 Lok Sabha MPs, was the largest in Indian parliamentary history. The MPs were suspended for displaying placards and raising slogans in the House, demanding a statement from Shah on the security breach. The Speaker and the Chairman of the two Houses said the MPs had violated the rules and norms of the Parliament and insulted the institution.
The government, however, defended the suspension and said the opposition MPs were disrupting the proceedings and preventing the passage of important bills. The government also said the security breach was not within the purview of the government and was being investigated by the agencies.
The INDIA bloc, which was formed in October this year, is a united front of the opposition parties to challenge the BJP in the upcoming general elections, due around May 2024. The bloc has announced its common minimum programme and its vision for the country’s development and inclusiveness. The bloc has also said it will decide on its prime ministerial candidate after the elections.
