Opposition likely to change strategy in House if suspension of MPs is revoked

The Opposition may change its strategy in Parliament and will cooperate with the House proceedings if their demand for revoking the suspension of 12 MPs from Rajya Sabha is considered. A meeting of 16 Opposition parties decided to demand proper discussion and debate on all legislations and other Government business which will be taken up during the ongoing Winter Session. The Telangana Rashtra Samiti also participated in the meeting chaired by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

Senior Opposition MP NK Premachandran told BusinessLine that the attempt of the Government was to instigate disruptions in Parliament by suspending senior members from Rajya Sabha. “Suspending members citing disharmony of previous session is unheard of in the past. The Government does not want proper functioning of the House as they are happy to pass the legislations without any debate. The Opposition will see through this agenda,” Premachandran claimed.

The Opposition members walked out of Rajya Sabha urging Chairman Venkaih Naidu to revoke the suspension. Naidu denied the request and said a motion to suspend the MPs was moved and it was approved on Monday and the action is final.

“You try to mislead the House, you disturb the House, you ransacked the table, you also threw papers on the chair and also some of them have got on to the table and then you are giving me lessons. This is not the way,” he said replying to an appeal by Opposition leader Mallikarjun Kharge.

“I don’t think the appeal of the Leader of the Opposition is worth considering. I am not considering it at all,” he added.

Kharge later sent a letter to Naidu. He said the suspension of the members is an unprecedented excessive action. CPI(M) leader in Rajya Sabha Elamaram Kareem said his name was not even on the list of people named by the Chairman after the incidents during Monsoon Session.

Kharge said it is wrong to assume that the motion was passed by the House as the entire Opposition was opposed to the motion and therefore cannot be the consensus of the House just because of the majority of the ruling party. “The members were denied any opportunity to present their case. One of the suspended members was never referred to in the Bulletin dated August 11, 2021. As per the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business, this action of suspension has to be preceded by the naming of the members under the provisions of Rule 256 (1),” Kharge added.

COMMENT NOW