Parliament winter session: 49 more Lok Sabha Opposition MPs suspended; tally reaches 141
New Delhi, December 19: The strength of the Opposition INDIA bloc in the Lok Sabha decreased further on Tuesday with the suspension of 49 MPs due to alleged disruptive conduct and non-compliance with the Chair's instructions. This action came after an unprecedented suspension of 78 MPs from both Houses of Parliament the day before.
Among the suspended MPs are notable figures such as Shashi Tharoor, Manish Tewari and Karti Chidambaram from the Congress, Supriya Sule from NCP, Dimple Yadav from Samajwadi Party, and Sudip Bandhopadhyay from the Trinamool Congress.
Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal proposed the motion for the suspension with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi explaining in the Lower House that the display of placards inside the House was prohibited. He attributed these actions to the Opposition's desperation after recent election losses, prompting the proposal for MPs' suspension.
The tally of suspended MPs has now reached 141, with 46 Opposition MPs suspended from the Lok Sabha on Monday and 45 from the Rajya Sabha. These suspensions stem from ongoing disruptions and disorderly conduct witnessed during the Winter Session. The government defends these measures as necessary to uphold order and ensure the effective functioning of legislative proceedings.
Opposition leaders have vehemently criticised the widespread suspensions, alleging that the ruling BJP is suppressing dissent and impeding democratic dialogue.
- With inputs from agencies
