Oppn parties rally behind Congress, govt holds firm

Soon as the Lok Sabha met for the day, several Opposition parties including Left, Samajwadi and RJD members demanded revocation of suspension of 25 Congress members. But Speaker Sumitra Mahajan refused to reverse her decision. Later, all the members led by Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav staged a walkout from the House.

In a late evening development, sources said Opposition members from non-Congress parties approached the Speaker and also Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu for resolution of the deadlock. 

Sources said, the government was amenable to the idea of revocation of suspension as the presence of Congress members would give legitimacy to house proceedings. “However, an assurance should come from the suspended members that they would not disrupt the House any further,” a senior BJP leader said. However, according to Congress sources, there was no question of a let up in its protests. 

A demonstration is again planned for Wednesday morning against the Speaker’s decision. “Our members will return to the House on Monday when the suspension ends and if the government remains stringent on its stand, we will remain steadfast on our demand,” said a senior Congress leader.

The other Opposition parties like the Trinamool and the AAP had announced boycott of proceedings soon after the Speaker suspended the Congress members on Monday. 

The Congress lawmakers from both the Houses also held a protest in Parliament House premises against Speaker’s action. The agitating members, holding black flags, alleged that the Speaker took the decision after being pressurised by the government.

Speaking to media outside Parliament, Congress President Sonia Gandhi said suspension of her party members was undemocratic and a murder of democracy. She said responsibility to run Parliament was that of government and not of the Opposition. Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh said Congress always wanted that both the Houses should run. But at the same time, the government should consider the demand for the resignations of the top BJP leaders. 

Members belonging to other Opposition parties like the Samajwadi Party and the Nationalist Congress Party also joined the protest. The Congress state units of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan have also protested against the suspension.

The BJP Parliamentary Party on Tuesday criticised the Congress for disrupting the proceedings. It adopted a resolution condemning the behaviour of the Congress in Parliament. Talking to reporters after the meeting, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said Congress’ disruptive attitude showed frustration and the party was not able to digest the Prime Minister’s popularity in the country’s development. 

Naqvi said the government would continue to do its work without bothering about the negative politics by the Opposition. The minister also ruled out resignations of the BJP leaders including External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. He charged the Congress with misleading the people of the country on the issue saying the opposition had no other issue to raise.