7 Congress members suspended from Lok Sabha for remainder of Budget Session

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on March 5 suspended seven Congress Members of Parliament (MPs) for the remainder of the Budget Session over "gross misconduct" after they snatched papers from the Speaker's table and "utter disregard" for House rules.

This came shortly after the Lower House was adjourned for the day following uproar by the MPs.

As soon as the House met at 3 pm following an adjournment, Meenakshi Lekhi, who was presiding the House, named Gaurav Gogoi, T N Prathapan, Dean Kuriakose, Manicka Tagore, Rajmohan Unnithan, Benny Behanan and Gurjeet Singh Aujla.

Once a member is named by the Chair, he or she cannot attend the House for that day.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi then moved a motion to suspend these members from the House for the remaining period of the Budget session.

The motion was passed by a voice vote amid protests by opposition members.

Lekhi then asked the seven members to leave Lok Sabha chambers immediately and then adjourned the House for the day.

Reacting to the suspension, Gogoi said, "Suspend us for a year, but discuss Delhi riots and heal wounds of people."

"Snatching papers from Speaker's table utmost disrespect to Chair, we condemn this," Union minister Pralhad Joshi said, according to news agency PTI.

Congress members had stormed the Well demanding suspension of Hanuman Beniwal (Rashtriya Loktantrik Party, a regional outfit from Rajasthan which is backed by the Bharatiya Janata Party), made the remarks against Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her family members.

Gogoi was allegedly seen throwing papers kept on the Lok Sabha Speaker's table.

The second leg of the Budget Session had started on March 1 and is scheduled to go on till April 3.