Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi
Parliament: Both houses— Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned on Friday till March 11, amid sloganeering by Opposition, demanding presence of the PM in the House and discussion on Delhi violence.
Opposition members in Lok Sabha on Friday said the decision to suspend seven Congress MPs for the remainder of the Budget Session for unruly behaviour should be reversed as the “punishment” was “disproportionate”. Soon after the House reassembled at 12 noon after an adjournment, Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said he did not even know the basis on which the seven were suspended.
Defending the government’s decision, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad on Friday said that such ‘misconduct’ never happened in 70 years of independent India.
“The government does not want to keep any MP outside the Parliament. But, what happened yesterday, never happened in the 70 years of independent India,” he said.
Earlier in the day, Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi and other Congress MPs were seen protesting outside the Mahatma Gandhi statue at the Parliament over the suspension of seven Congress MPs and Delhi violence. Some protesters were seen holding placards saying “Amit Shah resign.”
On Thursday, seven Congress MPs who were suspended from Lok Sabha for the remaining period of the Budget Session for “misconduct†after they trooped to the Well and snatched papers from the Speaker’s table. The Congress members were protesting against a Rajasthan MP who called for a probe on whether coronavirus is being spread from the “home†of Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
Gaurav Gogoi, T N Prathapan, Manickam Tagore, Rajmohan Unnithan, and Gurjeet Singh Aujla were suspended from the Lok Sabha over "misconduct" on Thursday. (ANI Photo)
Highlights
Minutes after the Upper House resumed, it was adjourned till March 11 in wake of ruckus in the house. Rajya Rabha has also been adjourned till March 11.
Amid Ruckus and din in the Lok Sabha, the Lower House has been adjourned for another 15 minutes.
Ruckus and sloganeering over the suspension of Congress MPs continue in the Lok Sabha while other MPs lay papers on the table. Lok Sabha passed the Mineral Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020 amid sloganeering by Opposition members.
Defending government's decision of suspension of the Congress MPs, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said the " misconduct" happened yesterday, never happened in the 70 years of independent India.
"The government does not want to keep any MP outside the Parliament. But, what happened yesterday, never happened in the 70 years of independent India," he said.
Supporting the Congress, DMK MP Dayanidhi Maran said, " on behalf of DMK, I request that the suspension of the MPs (7 Congress MPs) be recalled."
Speaking at the Lok Sabha on Friday, Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said suspension of seven Congress MPs is not a minor thing. '7 of our MPs were suspended for the entire Budget session, yesterday. We don't know on what basis was this done? This is not a minor thing; We only want a discussion on the issue of Delhi violence,' he said.
Lok Sabha proceedings resume. Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury speaks
Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till March 11. The government has agreed to discuss the Delhi riots on March 11.
Proceedings in Lok Sabha began with din over communal violence in Delhi. The House has been adjourned till noon.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other MPs protest in front of Mahatma Gandhi statue at Parliament, demanding the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. (Express Photo by Anil Sharma)
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