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Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Monday suspended six Congress members from the Lok Sabha for five days for “highly unbecoming” conduct that “undermined the Chair’s dignity”. The Opposition was protesting in the Well, demanding a discussion on lynching of Dalits and Muslims by cow vigilante groups.
The suspended Congress members are Gaurav Gogoi, K Suresh, Adhir Rajan Chowdhury, Ranjeet Ranjan, Sushmita Dev and M K Raghavan.
Mahajan announced her order when the House reassembled at 2 p.m after an adjournment after Zero Hour.
In her order, Mahajan said all the suspended members had torn official papers and thrown it towards the Chair, prompting members of the Treasury benches to shout "shame, shame".
Some of these members had picked up papers from the Lok Sabha Secretariat staffers' table and had torn and thrown them, Mahajan said, adding that all this had happened despite her agreeing to a discussion on the issue.
As the Speaker announced the suspension, many Congress members again trooped into the Well, with K C Venugopal heard telling her that she should suspend all Congress MPs. Congress President Sonia Gandhi was present in the House.
When the House reassembled at 2.30 pm, Congress members were joined by the Left in protesting against the suspension, prompting Deputy Speaker M. Thambidurai to adjourn the House for the day.
During the din in the morning, protesting members of the Congress, CPI(M) and Trinamool Congress shouted slogans demanding a discussion on lynchings of Dalits and Muslims by Gau Rakshaks. Later, Congress MPs squatted on the floor of the Well in protest, even as Question Hour was going on.
Amid the din, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said there was a feeling in the entire country that the “cow has to be protected, but law should not be taken into one’s hand.” He said advisories had been sent to all states in 2016, as law & order is a state subject. Kumar reiterated that the government was agreeable to a discussion on the issue.
The noisy protests by members of the Congress and other Opposition parties erupted soon after Speaker Sumitra Mahajan disallowed their adjournment notice over the “barbaric and shameful” incidents of lynching, leading to slogan shouting and tearing of papers.
After Question Hour, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said minority communities, Dalits and women were living in an atmosphere of terror and fear, and said despite the Prime Minister’s statement that action would be taken, “no action has been taken.”
Trinamool leader Saugata Roy said: “It seems no one is listening to the Prime Minister.”
The Opposition demanded a discussion in the presence of the Prime Minister and Home Minister.
However, the Speaker continued proceedings during the din, in which two Bill were introduced and Zero Hour was held, which once again witnessed noisy scenes when two BJP members sought a discussion on the Bofors scandal.
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