Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Monday suspended six Congress MPs for five days for “unruly behaviour” and disrupting the proceedings of the House.
Ordering their suspension amid noisy protests by Congress members and counter-slogans of “shame, shame” from the BJP benches, the Speaker said the conduct of Gaurav Gogoi, K. Suresh, Adhir Rajan Chowdhury, Ranjeet Ranjan, Sushmita Dev and M.K. Raghavan was “highly unbecoming” and had undermined the Chair’s dignity.
Stormy start
The Lok Sabha got off to a stormy start in the morning with leader of the Congress’ Legislative Party Mallikarjuna Kharge demanding a discussion on widespread incidents of mob violence and murder. The party had moved an adjournment motion for the discussion but it was denied by the Speaker.
Though opposition members protested loudly in the Well of the House, question hour was held, with the Speaker Sumitra Mahajan adamant on conducting the House, saying that she would like to see “how much indiscipline was possible.”
She asked Mr Kharge to submit a notice under a different rule for a discussion on gau rakshaks and mob violence rather than an adjournment motion. Trinamool Congress’ Saugata Roy also demanded a discussion on the issue.
Bofors resurrected
Through the din, treasury MPs, Meenakshi Lekhi and Nishikant Dubey raised certain disclosures on the Bofors gun deal by a television channel. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar reiterated the government's position placed on record in the Rajya Sabha by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley that the government had condemned violence in the name of the cow and the vigilantism attached to it.
Opposition members, however, insisted on a discussion on the issue, saying they were not being allowed to raise it in the House.
In the melee, that continued through zero hour, papers were torn and thrown towards the Well of the House.
At this, Speaker Mahajan adjourned the House till 2 p.m. In the interim she suspended the six MPs and announced her decision after the House reconvened. The House was adjourned again amid protests by the Congress.
When the House again met at 2.30 p.m., Congress members were joined by members of the Left in protesting the suspension, prompting Deputy Speaker M. Thambi Durai to adjourn the House for the day.
This is not the first time Ms Mahajan has suspended opposition MPs; in July 2015 she had suspended 25 Congress MPs for five days for causing disruption.
Speaker unhappy
Later speaking to reporters outside Parliament House, she said “unruly behaviour” would not be accepted from any Member of Parliament. “I had warned them three times not to make noise or throw papers but despite my warning, they created a ruckus and behaved in an unruly manner. The scene was similar to a college classroom where kids throw papers at each other. If these members act and behave like them no sooner we will have to suspend all every time or take action,” she said.
Mr. Kharge termed the Speaker’s actions “unfortunate.” He said “suspending Congress leaders will not make the issue silent. On the one hand, the government advises to have the freedom of speech, and if we revolt, then we are suspended for that reason. We have always seen whenever the Congress speaks for the country, they are stopped.”
(With inputs from PTI)