Parliament Security Breach: INDIA Bloc MPs to Continue Push for Home Minister's Statement
Congress MPs Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi with suspended Opposition MPs during a protest at Mahatma Gandhi statue during the Winter session of Parliament, in New Delhi, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023. Image Courtesy: PTI
New Delhi: The constituents of the Opposition INDIA bloc Tuesday decided to strongly raise the demand for a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah on the Parliament security breach issue in both Houses.
This was decided at a meeting of the alliance's constituents in the Parliament complex, a day after 78 MPs in both Houses were suspended for raising the demand.
"The demand for Home Minister Amit Shah's statement will continue and the suspended MPs will protest in front of the Gandhi statue," Congress whip in Lok Sabha Manickam Tagore said after the meeting.
Tagore himself is suspended from the Lok Sabha.
The suspended MPs protested near the Mahatma Gandhi statue inside the Parliament complex and raised slogans against the government, demanding the resignation of the prime minister and the home minister and the arrest of the BJP MP who issued entry passes to the intruders.
Earlier, they held a protest by sitting on the stairs of Parliament's new building.
Many Opposition members, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, were present at the protest near the Gandhi statue.
"When the House is in session and a minister makes a statement outside, it amounts to (violation of) privilege of Parliament," Kharge told reporters and wondered why the Home Minister was unwilling to make a statement in the House on the security breach issue.
Later, in a post on X, he said, "Modi-Shah have insulted the dignity of the House. Despite serious security lapses, they do not come to Parliament and give any statement. I am very sad that for the first time in history, so many MPs have been suspended. This is like destroying democracy and is a deep insult to the dignity of the House."
Monday's action has taken the total number of MPs suspended from the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha to 93, with 92 being suspended since Thursday. AAP member Sanjay Singh was suspended as a Rajya Sabha member from July 24.
The Opposition parties which are members of the INDIA bloc will hold a meeting in the national on Tuesday afternoon where the issue of suspension of their MPs will also be discussed.
The INDIA bloc has lost almost half its strength in Rajya Sabha and one-third in Lok Sabha as 78 MPs in total were suspended on Monday for unruly behaviour and disregarding the directions of the Chair.
Get the latest reports & analysis with people's perspective on Protests, movements & deep analytical videos, discussions of the current affairs in your Telegram app. Subscribe to NewsClick's Telegram channel & get Real-Time updates on stories, as they get published on our website.
