On December 13, the new Indian Parliament building witnessed an unfortunate security breach as a few intruders entered the building with smoke canisters — raising serious questions about the potential threat caused due to negligence of concerned authorities. However, the events that have followed the intrusion are no less threatening. This time it is not the building but the basic tenets of the institution of Parliament that have come under severe onslaught. On Monday, as many as 78 MPs were suspended from both houses of the Parliament. Suspension at this scale had never happened in the history of the Indian Parliament. The incident shall certainly be registered as a dark event in the course of Indian democracy. Ridiculously, the trigger to this infamous retribution has been a mere routine phenomenon — the suspended members seeking the much-needed accountability on a very serious security lapse that could have assumed ominous proportions. Following such a security breach, the best and most appropriate thing that the representatives of people could have done is to ask questions and seek debate in the house of the Parliament, which they did. Mere denial of such requests would amount to disrespecting the primacy accorded to the people by the Indian Constitution. The proposition, however, went a step further in implementing retaliatory suspension of vocal opposition MPs. It is highly ironic that this gross neglect of democratic spirit was made possible on account of a functional attribute of Indian democracy — the rule by majority. The ruling alliance has misused the overwhelming majority it enjoys in the Parliament. While democracy allows for a rule by majority, it should never equate to rule against minority. What has been on display is sheer arrogance and neglect of democratic principles. Shockingly, in the Rajya Sabha, 50 per cent of the Opposition’s strength has been depleted. Opposition leaders have dubbed the mass suspension as a “murder of democracy.” In a scathing attack, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge tweeted that “first, intruders attacked Parliament. Then Modi government is attacking Parliament and Democracy. All Democratic norms are being thrown into the dustbin by an autocratic Modi Government.” He further asserted that “with an Opposition-Less Parliament, the Modi Government can now bulldoze important pending legislations, crush any dissent, without any debate.” As it turned out, these fears were not completely unfounded. In the midst of ongoing protests and repeated adjournments, the Rajya Sabha cleared the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Second Amendment) Bill, 2023 and the Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, 2023 within a span of 15 minutes. Such bypassing of Parliamentary procedures is a clear misfortune unleashed upon the people of India. Accountability, which is a bedrock principle of a functioning democracy, has been thrown asunder. Such a “bulldozing” approach towards the functioning of the Parliament is emblematic of gross ignorance about the essence and spirit of the revered institution. The grand institution that has stood the test of time and served the people of India deserves more respect and importance. The governments of particular parties, adhering to specific ideologies, are only a temporary thing in democracy. The force of majority cannot be used to degrade permanent and basic institutions like the Parliament. Be it the suspension of around 100 MPs in a single session by the ruling NDA government or suspension of 63 MPs by erstwhile Congress government in 1989, such acts merit strict condemnation. In the present circumstance, it may be noted that the government has failed to fulfil the pertinent requests of opposition members seeking the address by concerned ministers alongside a due debate on the topic. The Lok Sabha speaker has expressed his disappointment regarding the politicisation of the issue by opposition members. However, the government has failed to provide a convincing answer as to why the concerned authorities are avoiding addressing such a crucial issue. Rather than speaking in the house, prominent officeholders of the BJP have preferred to speak to certain media outlets, which is being seen by some as a disrespect to the Parliament. Sadly, protests by opposition members on the same issue has led to their dramatic suspensions. It is the combined responsibility of the opposition and government to ensure the smooth and effective functioning of the parliament. Coordination, and not conflict, should be the way forward.