Chief of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jadgeep Dhankar, saying the suspension of Opposition MPs from Parliament was “predetermined and premeditated”.
Within the letter, Kharge wrote that the suspension was “executed without any application of mind, as can be seen by the suspension of an INDIA party MP who was not even present in Parliament”.
“If anything privilege motions have also been weaponised to muzzle the voice of the Opposition. This is a deliberate design of the ruling dispensation to undermine Parliament itself. By suspending MPs, the government is effectively silencing the voice of the voters of 146 MPs altogether,” Kharge mentioned.
The Vice-President had written to Kharge on December 23, requesting him for a gathering on December 25 to debate the suspension of the MPS from the Winter Session of Parliament.
He additionally mentioned that it’s “regrettable” that the Vice-President condoned the Dwelling Minister and the Centre for not making a press release on the Parliament safety breach on the ground of the Home.
“It was even more regrettable that the Hon’ble Home Minister made his first public statement before a TV channel when the Parliament was in session and the Chair did not find that ‘sacrileging the temple of democracy’,” he mentioned.
Referring to TMC Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale’s put up on X, however not naming anybody, Kharge mentioned that the Chairperson would have been made privy to “a Union Minister” allegedly informing “an Opposition MP” that the majority Opposition MPs could be suspended earlier than Dwelling Minister Amit Shah could be current within the Rajya Sabha.
“We would have expected the Chairman to have inquired if such a threat was indeed issued. Such comments grossly undermines the Chair who we believe is the final authority on conducting the House, including suspension of members,” he mentioned.
Saket Gokhale had alleged in his put up on X that Union Minister of Commerce and Business Piyush Goyal had threatened that every one Opposition MPs could be suspended earlier than Union Dwelling Minister Amit Shah tables the prison regulation Payments in Rajya Sabha.
“It would be distressing when history judges the presiding officers harshly for Bills passed without debate and not seeking accountability from the government. It is disappointing that the Hon’ble Chairman feels effecting suspensions facilitated legislative business by passing bills without discussion,” he added.
A complete of 146 MPs, 100 from Lok Sabha, and 46 from Rajya Sabha, have been suspended within the Winter session of Parliament for making a ruckus and disrupting proceedings in each Homes, whereas they have been demanding a press release from Union Minister Amit Shah in regards to the Parliament safety breach incident.