LS passes motion to revoke suspension of 7 Cong MPs
THE MPS HAD SNATCHED A COPY OF THE MINERAL LAWS (AMENDMENT) BILL AND THREW THE PAPERS KEPT ON SPEAKER OM BIRLA’S TABLE
NEWDELHI: The Lok Sabha passed a motion to revoke the suspension of seven Congress members on Wednesday, the day Speaker Om Birla returned to the House for the first time since March 2 when ruling and opposition members locked horns.
The seven Congress members of Parliament – Gaurav Gogoi, Manickam Tagore, TN Prathapan, Dean Kuriakose, R Unnithan, Benny Behanan and Gurjeet Singh Aujla — were suspended on March 5 for the remaining period of the second part of the budget session for “gross misconduct and indiscipline”. The budget session ends on April 3.
The MPs had snatched a copy of the Mineral Laws (Amendment) Bill and threw the papers kept on Birla’s table. BJP member Rama Devi was in the Chair at the time.
Earlier, BJP and Congress MPs had pushed and shoved each other in the Lok Sabha on March 2, as opposition parties protested over the violence in north-eastern Delhi that claimed 53 lives while demanding resignation of
Union home minister Amit Shah.
The motion to revoke the suspension, moved by minister of state for parliamentary affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal, was passed by a voice vote.
Both Houses started amid disruptions and protests on Wednesday. Congress floor leader Adhir Chowdhury demanded that the suspension should be revoked. Birla adjourned the Lok Sabha and held a meeting with leaders of all the parties before he came to the House at 1:30 pm to chair the proceedings.
While MPs cutting across party lines welcomed Birla and urged him to revoke the suspension of the seven Congress MPs, the Speaker said he was personally pained over the recent incidents in the Lok Sabha and actions of some members who tore papers in the well, snatched papers from marshals and displayed placards.
“In this House we can agree, disagree on issues, or use sarcasm, but decorum should be maintained. It is a temple of expectations of 130 crore Indians,” the Speaker said, assuring the opposition members that he would allow time for discussion on issues demanded by them.
“It is necessary to keep the dignity of the Chair intact to retain the faith of people in India’s democracy,” he added.
Chowdhury said his party never wanted to dishonour the Chair or disturb the functioning of the House. He insisted that it is the responsibility of both the opposition and the treasury benches to maintain the dignity of the House. “You don’t give life sentence to someone for just killing a pigeon,” he argued.
Earlier in the morning, the Congress held a meeting to formulate its strategy for the Lok Sabha and the party decided that its members would take other opposition parties on board and demand revocation of the suspension of their colleagues.